When low-income students returned to Chicago public schools this fall, many had better access to technology, thanks to a public-private partnership. Chicago families with children enrolled in the National School Lunch Program are eligible for subsidized computers and Internet connections through an agreement between the city and telecom giant Comcast. The program, Internet Essentials, will provide discount vouchers to 330,000 students and their families who qualify for free school lunches in city schools. It offers affordable technology to low-income students and their families. The initiative is scheduled to begin during Chicago's 2011-2012 school year, and Comcast ultimately plans to make the program available nationwide within its Internet service area, which encompasses communities in 39 states and Washington, DC, according to Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas.