False Hope? Few Attend Info Session for Post Price Lab Enrollment Options

Few parents and students of attended an information session on Monday hosted by the about enrollment options in area school districts after the Price Lab is closed.

The session, which lasted from 3 to 6 p.m. in the gymnasium at Price Lab, featured eight school districts: Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Waterloo Christian, Valley Lutheran, Hudson, Dike New-Hartford, Janesville and North Tama County Community Schools.

Many of the area schools have been preparing for the possibility of numerous students enrolling in their academic programs following the , which educates 350-plus K-12 students. With all of the action being taken by members of the community, some still hope that Price Lab will remain open in the future.

“(This process) has been very sudden, very quick,” said Josh Henriksen, Price Lab high school principal. “It’s gone from the announcement of closure to the closure date of June 1 in about 12 days, so it’s been a very intense time for us trying to get kids back on track in the classroom, but also allowing them to fight for their school.”

Although students have been taking action to keep their school open, even using their social media accounts to allow their words to be heard, Henriksen feels that they still need to be prepared for the future.

“I think it’s important that we have the hope that (Price Lab) stays open, but we also have to worry about the reality,” said Henriksen. “My biggest issue now is making sure that our students are landing on their feet wherever they want to go and they have a good idea of the surrounding school districts so they feel comfortable with that if it comes to that process.”

Whatever the outcome is, Henriksen says it is a great lesson for the students at Price Lab.

“The advocacy that they’re doing is going to carry with them a long time,” said Henriksen.

Sharon Miller, executive director of school and community relations for the Waterloo Community School District, is trying to make sure the changes run as smoothly as possible for Price Lab students.

"We know first of all that anytime you close a school, it’s a very emotional process," said Miller. "We want to support and help with the transition for students and their families in any way that we can — providing information, giving tours, working with parents and students about meeting their very specific needs."

Dan Conrad, director of education at , is also working to prepare for the additional students that may be entering the school district.

"The next month or so will tell us a lot about how many kids we’ll have to plan for," said Conrad. "These kids will be able to transition into any of our buildings, especially at the secondary level — we really don’t have any difficulty with the students coming to either Holmes or Peet."

There will be another informational meeting for parents on March 22.