On the Same Page

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Communications from the Director

On the Same Page

October, 2006
David W. Magill, Director

In my previous life as a public school superintendent, I occasionally referred to the "Killer Bs" as occupying a great deal of my time—Buildings, Budgets, Buses, Boundaries, Boards, and Bureaucracies.

Such is not the case at Lab, and I am most grateful. However, it is clear that in the next three years I will be spending more time addressing the needs of our Schools' future than I did in my first three years. Specifically, that time will be devoted to our facilities and to developing the resources to maintain and improve the quality of a Laboratory Schools experience.

The Facilities Master Plan
Prompted by a University commitment to turn over to Lab Schools all of Judd Hall by the summer of 2008, and with out-of-date information concerning the overall condition of our facilities, the Board of Directors authorized a Space Planning and Feasibility study.

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill presented a very detailed Master Plan to the Board's Facilities Committee last April. The goals of the Master Plan were as follows:

To provide necessary life safety systems and access throughout the campus
To maximize utilization of existing facilities
To provide a state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the campus into the future
To improve dining facilities within the campus
To improve faculty accommodation with the facilities
To enhance significantly our visual and performing arts facilities throughout all Schools
To expand libraries and allow for growth
To accommodate expansion of the High School for up to 100 students

The project team's methodology included a technical analysis of the existing facilities; extensive interviews of faculty, staff, parents, and alumni; and benchmarking studies of comparable public and independent schools. After vetting an idealized program with an executive steering committee, cost estimates were prepared and conceptual schedules were developed.

While the report answered many questions and was remarkably consistent with what many of us know to be the strengths and weaknesses of our facilities, it also raised a number of questions to which we are now finding answers:

How much of what was recommended can we really do and in what order?
What is our realistic fundraising capacity?
How much will the University contribute to any capital program?
How do we maintain a safe, healthy, and non-disruptive work environment while construction is taking place?

As the answers become apparent, we will share them with the entire Laboratory Schools' community.

The Role of Development
It will take a very special, if not historic, effort to raise the capital for what should be done to improve our facilities. A fundraising consulting firm is assisting us, a campaign leadership team has formed, and conversations are taking place with the University's administration. The pieces are beginning to fit together and, in the next couple of years, a well-reasoned plan will be executed.

A different, yet equally important development effort occurs each school year during our Annual Campaign, the Community of Givers. Many of you should now be receiving information about this year' Community of Givers campaign, and I urge you to consider its importance.

The Community of Givers is our once-a-year financial appeal to complete the revenue side of our budget. Please understand that these dollars are added to what we receive in tuition to support our overall program. They are not earmarked for enrichment or rainy day funds. These dollars are at work every day. Quite simply, we could not do what we do without this support.

Lab does not enjoy a cultural history of giving that so many of our peer schools do. I've heard a variety of reasons for this reality, but heading the list is an unfortunate misunderstanding of the role of the University of Chicago. The University's financial commitment to the Lab Schools is very significant and becomes more so each year. In fact, the University provides a great deal of support every year that benefits each student, not just those with a University connection. This support takes the form of free rent for many of our buildings and capital improvements to the campus infrastructure. When these are added up, the University effectively provides over $2,400 a year for every student. This support for all students is in addition to tuition support that the University pays to Lab for children of University of Chicago employees.

In an effort to be more transparent about our needs, we have asked parents and alumni to assist us in educating our community. Because of the leadership of these individuals, marked progress is occurring. Unrestricted giving continues to increase, and we have received very generous contributions from several alumni resulting in a nearly 70 percent increase to our scholarship endowment in the past three years.

But, we can do better, and our children deserve better! We can do better simply by increasing parent and alumni participation. We can do better if we increase our annual support by a reasonable percentage each year. We can do better by helping people understand that tuition alone does not make an education at Lab. Cultural shifts do not occur overnight, but clear communication and understanding move us in the right direction.

While a great deal of my energy will be focused on buildings and developing resources, rest assured that student learning will remain our most important responsibility. On that, we will not waver.