What is University Laboratory High School?

University Laboratory High School, or Uni, was established in 1921 and is a laboratory school located on the campus of the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois. Its enrollment is approximately 300 students, spanning five years (the traditional 9th through 12th grades, preceded by a composite 7th and 8th grade year known as the "subfreshman" year). The school is notable for the achievements of its alumni, including three Nobel laureates and a Pulitzer Prize winner; in 2006 and 2007 it was recognized as a "public elite" school by Newsweek because of its students' high scores on the SAT.

According to its mission statement, Uni is a catalyst for educational innovation. For example, a Uni faculty member initiated the New Math. Uni seeks to spark the creative fervor and high aspirations of its students and to inspire them to excellence. The faculty at Uni challenge students through traditional and experimental strategies to ignite their potential for active, responsible involvement in the adult world.

Uni is a publicly-funded but competitive enrollment school. It receives support from state taxes, but not from local property taxes, as it is not in a school district. For many years, it was funded by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a place to experiment with educational curricula, but the University of Illinois withdrew most of its support in the early 1980s. The "laboratory" aspect persists in certain classes. An experimental math course was taught in the early 2000s and teachers continue to experiment in small, creative ways with their courses to adapt to each grade of sixty students.

While the University now only provides limited financial support for its high school, the relationship between the two imparts a number of benefits on Uni's students. Students are allowed free access to the University's campus during the school day. They also have access to the University's library system equivalent to that of any undergraduate. It is for this reason that the high school library is technically "the largest high school library in the world." Additionally, Kenney Gym, the University's old men's gymnasium, is used by Uni for both physical education and as practice and game space for the volleyball and basketball teams.

As a public school, Uni does not charge tuition. The Illinois State Board of Education provides the greatest portion of funds to operate the school. Because Uni serves students from the state of Illinois, it is not part of a school district and receives no local property tax dollars. As a result, Uni seeks support from other sources. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign of which Uni is a unit provides some salary support, utilities, building maintenance and other services. Donations from private sources ensure that the experiences of today's students rival those of our remarkable graduates. This year Uni will raise $500,000 in private, voluntary donations from current use and endowment funds. The majority of private donations are contributions by current parents.

What is the Uni High Building Development Project?

The Uni High Building Development Project is an Independent Study by junior Isaac Chambers (class of 2009). The project was launched in the Spring of 2007.

The goal of the Uni High Building Development Project is to improve the quality of the facilities at University Laboratory High School in order to provide its students with an exceptional experience and ensure continued educational excellence.

Why does Uni need updated facilities?

Uni’s current facilities present many challenges that distract the staff and students of Uni from fulfilling Uni’s mission.

Maintenance

The building at 1212 West Springfield Avenue serves as Uni’s primary building. This building was constructed in 1917, originally intended as a war veterans hospital. Shortly thereafter in 1921, University Laboratory High School, or Uni, was established a laboratory school located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The main building is in much need of repair and maintenance updates. The heating system is very inefficient and as a result, some rooms become overheated and others not heated enough. Wall AC units were installed into most Uni rooms and classrooms recently. Windows are not properly sealed and the windows and blinds need maintenance.

Auditorium & Assemblies

Uni has no auditorium; the north attic is used for fine arts performances, however, this is not in accordance with Urbana fire codes due. The south attic which is used as practice space for the chorus, orchestra, and other musical classes at Uni is also in breech of the fire codes because it exceeds the legal occupancy limit. Uni Gym is used for all-school assemblies. This provides challenges as Uni Gym has limited space and does not have enough standard seating for all students.

Physical Education & Athletics

As Uni has no suitable athletic facilities of its own, the University’s oldest men’s gymnasium, which opened in 1890, serves as host to Uni’s physical education and extra-curricular athletic programs. Uni shares Kenny Gym with the University’s Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics team, as well as the rest of the University as it is open for recreational use. This makes scheduling difficult as Uni can only hold P.E. classes during certain hours of the day. The indoor running track at Kenny, used by the P.E. fitness program, is fifteen laps to the mile and has very tight turns which are not banked. Students walk to Kenny Gym from Uni for P.E. classes.

Uni’s Boy’s and Girl’s basketball programs must share the same game and practice space. Subfreshman Girl’s and Boy’s basketball must share Uni Gym, a very small and old gymnasium that does not have space for a full-sized basketball court. Uni’s track team has no sufficient track of their own and therefore must share the armory track with ROTC, Police Training, and Navy groups in the early morning during indoor season, and the Urbana High School’s track during outdoor season. Urbana High School’s track is frequently unavailable as the track hosts Urbana High School and Middle School track practices and meets. Uni’s swim team users Freer Hall, but due to scheduling limitations, is only able to practice in the pool three times per week. The volleyball program uses Kenny’s facilities for game and practice space and the soccer programs uses the University’s DCR fields.

Classrooms, Science Labs, & Equipment

Many of Uni's classrooms, science labs, and equipment are outdated and limited. Uni does, however, have four classrooms that are equipped with a digital multimedia projector, a VCR, and a Mac and PC (with DVD capabilities) as the projector's primary input sources. The equipment in these rooms are owned and maintained by the CITES (Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services).

Where will the new facilities be located? What happens to the old facilities?

The main Uni building will be left intact and the new Uni facilities will be located on the Uni block, replacing the other facilities such as Hugh House, Math House, and Uni Gym.

When beginning the project, the two options for building new facilities were: (1) demolishing Hue House, Math House, Uni gym, and the parking lot adjacent to Goodwin to build new facilities in their place to supplement the main Uni building, or (2) completely relocating Uni to all new facilities. The survey asked respondents to indicated whether they would support or oppose each of the two options. While 62% indicated they would OPPOSE the relocation of Uni to all new facilities, 91% of respondents indicated they had NO OPINION or would SUPPORT the replacement of Hue House, Math House, Uni Gym, and the parking lot adjacent to Goodwin with new facilities. For this reason, we feel strongly that the benefits of Uni’s current location and the history and culture of the main Uni building far outweigh the benefits that could result from entirely new facilities in a different location.

When will the project be completed?

It is expected that the planning phase of the project will take between 1.5 - 2.5 years to complete. The project was started during the spring of 2007. It is unknown at this time how long the construction phase will last.

Who do I contact with questions and for more information about the project?

You can use this site's contact form. Simply fill out the contact form, and someone will respond to your message as soon as possible if a response is required.

Be sure to select the appropriate category:
Project Information - requesting information and questions about the project.
Making a Gift - questions about making a gift to the Uni High Building Development Project.
Feedback - ideas, suggestions, and other feedback you would like to share.
Project Supervisors - contacting the project's faculty supervisors (Steve Epperson, Interim Principal; Karen Cooley, Director of Advancement; Susan Kovacs, Assistant Director).

What can I do to help the Uni High Building Development Project?

We're excited you want to help! Here are some of things you can do to help:
– Make a gift. (Information about making a gift | Make a gift now)
– Share why you think Uni needs a new building, a personal story or experience about your time at Uni, or a quote about what Uni means to you,

How can I make a gift?

Thank you for your interest in making a gift to the Uni High Building Development Project. Help pay for the cost of the project by making a gift. All contributions are welcome, no matter the amount. All gifts are tax-deductible as the University of Illinois (University Laboratory High School is a unit of the UIUC campus) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. If you are interested in making a major gift to the project, please contact us so we can discuss your contribution.

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Will the new building be a green building?

Buildings have a profound effect on the environment, which is why green building practices are so important to reduce and perhaps one day eliminate those impacts.
According to the EPA, In the United States alone, buildings account for:

• 39% of total energy use
• 12% of total water consumption
• 68% of total electricity consumption
• 38% of total carbon dioxide emissions

Our goal is to make any new facilities green and have "zero emissions."

More information about green building available at the U.S. Green Building Council.