The state Board of Regents voted Monday to approve closing the University of Northern Iowa Malcolm Price Laboratory School.

UNI officials requested permission to close the school to deal with the university’s budget shortfalls. The Price Laboratory School educates K-12 students and provides experience for the UNI teacher-education students. It is one of the few remaining laboratory schools in the country supported by a university.

The lab’s closure will be effective June 30.

Some around the state criticized the decision, including a handful of Democratic lawmakers who issued a joint statement.

"The decision was made without any input from parents, students, teachers, or others in our community. This lack of transparency in an era of open government is alarming," they wrote. "With so many unanswered questions, there was no reason to rush this decision and close Price Lab."

— by Asmaa Elkurti