Regents to discuss Price Lab School closure

The Iowa Board of Regents will consider a proposal to close the doors of the Malcolm Price Laboratory School.

All nine Regents are expected to join in on a telephone meeting at 1 p.m. to discuss the budget cutting measure. Last week, UNI President Ben Allen recommended closing the Price Lab School to save UNI about $2 million.

A $5 million budget deficit forced the university to look for options to save money.

State regents need to vote on President Allen's recommendations before the university can move forward with any plans. The board governs the state's public universities.

Many are anxious to see what the board has to say. The president's recommendation to close the school has created an emotional roller coaster for hundreds, including the families of the 350 kids who attend the K-12 school and UNI students who get their first hands-on experiences in the lab school's classrooms.

Last week, the president also suggested making cuts to the athletic department and the UNI museum. Cuts to academic-related programs are expected to be announced sometime this week.

The Malcolm Price Laboratory School is located on the UNI campus.