Update: Iowa Regents Approve Closure of Price Lab on June 30

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Iowa Board of Regents voted today to close Price Laboratory at University of Northern Iowa by a 8-0 vote with Regent Bob Downer abstaining.

Downer requested to defer the vote, pending an Iowa Attorney General opinion about whether the Regents had the authority to close the lab or whether that rests with the Legislature.

That motion died for a lack of second.

Previous reporting:

The Iowa Board of Regents are scheduled to vote on the whether or not to close today, but the regents appear as though they have already made up their minds. 

The agenda for the meeting issued this morning identifies reasons for the to go through. The meeting is being held by telephone at 1 p.m. today.

"The has come to a point, as have many institutions," the agenda docket reads, "where it is no longer financially feasible for the university to operate its own school and subsidize instruction for elementary/secondary education. The financial issue is exacerbated by an aging building which a consultant estimated would cost $30 million to replace."

Here is the text from the Regents agenda:

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA PRICE LABORATORY SCHOOL
Action Requested:
Approve the request of the University of Northern Iowa to close the Malcolm Price Laboratory School effective June 30, 2012.
Executive Summary: The University of Northern Iowa is strongly committed to being the premier pre K-12 higher education institution in the state and among the best in the nation. This is made explicit in the University’s Strategic Plan approved by the Board.
During the past four years of budget reductions, the university has reexamined every aspect of its operations and programs to become more focused and strategic with its resources.
Iowa Code section 265.1 provides:
“The state board of regents is authorized to establish and operate elementary and secondary laboratory schools at the institutions of higher education under its control. For the purpose of this chapter, laboratory school shall mean a school operated by an educational institution for the purpose of instructing students, training teachers, and advancing teaching methods.”
Pursuant to Board authority under Iowa Code 265.1, UNI has for many years operated the Malcolm Price Laboratory School. The School has provided an excellent education for pre-K -12 students, as well as supported clinical experiences for the UNI teacher education program. It is one of the few remaining laboratory schools in the country supported by a university.
However, the University of Northern Iowa has come to a point, as have many institutions, where it is no longer financially feasible for the university to operate its own school and subsidize instruction for elementary/secondary education. The financial issue is exacerbated by an aging building which a consultant estimated would cost $30 million to replace. Instead UNI’s strategic priority is best served by focusing resources on its undergraduate teacher education and the supporting academic programs.
Best practices call for pre-service students to have a range of clinical experiences in diverse settings to prepare them for what they will realistically experience once on the job. The university is committed to an expanded network of partnerships with school districts to provide an outstanding array of clinical experiences.