Admissions and Enrollment
The admissions process for the Lab School occurs from January – March each year. Enrollment in the Lab School is open to the public and is for the entire academic year. The Laboratory School is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs and facilities without regard to race, creed, color, sex, or national origin. Children are randomly selected from all of the enrollment applications. Once a child is admitted, it is expected that the child will continue until he/she is of kindergarten age.
In filling vacancies, preference is given to children enrolled in the program, brothers and sisters of children who will be concurrently enrolled, and underrepresented minority children. Remaining vacancies are filled each year by selecting children at random from the pool of applicants. Age, gender, and ethnicity are variables considered in filling vacancies.
Whenever possible, parents have a choice of class meeting time and age range. All final placement decisions, however, are made by the school staff and are contingent upon the adjustment of the child.
Parents of children selected will be notified by April 1. A $150 enrollment fee is due when the placement is offered. Payment assures your child’s space. This yearly fee is nonrefundable.
Tuition is charged on an academic year basis and must be paid by the date indicated or a late charge will be added. Our office must receive your first payment by August 10th or your child’s place will be forfeited or reassigned. Tuition will be billed biannually, but families may make arrangements for monthly payments if preferred
To request a tour of the Lab School, contact Ann Ruhl Carlson at ruhlc001@umn.edu or 612-626-7878.
In order to have your child considered for admission to the Lab School, please download and complete the application form and either return it to the mailing address on the application form or email it to ruhlc001@umn.edu.
Classroom Placement Policy and Procedures
We believe that the placement of individual children in classes is an essential component of creating a positive learning environment for all children. With this in mind, the staff meets at the end of the summer, before school begins, to discuss the best placement for each child. The variables that are considered when placing a child in a particular class include child and group characteristics, and family needs and preferences.
- The child characteristics that are considered include the following:
- Identified abilities in each developmental domain
- Identified interests
- Temperament
- Activity level
- Existing peer relationships
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Age
- Group characteristics that are considered include:
- Potential playmates for each child (new and old)
- Maintaining a balance of ages, gender, and ethnic composition
- Maintaining a balance of new and returning families (i.e., known and unknown child characteristics)
- Maintaining temperament and activity balance
- The potential synergy of the group
- Family needs and preferences include (but are not limited to):
- Morning or afternoon placement
- Economic considerations
- Family needs (e.g., another child in the program, car pool requirements, child care needs, etc.)
- Preference of family for a particular teacher or with a particular child
As you can see, a parent request is considered only one variable among many. Often children gain a great deal from a new placement in a familiar setting. One of our primary goals is to provide manageable cognitive, social, and emotional challenges and to assist children (and adults) in the development of constructive strategies for dealing with these challenges.
With this in mind, the policy of the Lab School is to require that preferences for a specific teacher be in writing and addressed to the Director of the program. Any specific issues that parents believe should be taken into consideration should be included. However, there is no guarantee of a particular placement.