University Laboratory School officials tried yesterday to allay parents' concerns about rumors that a technical change approved by the school's board would affect its partnership with the University of Hawai'i College of Education.

"I have no idea where that came from," said Doug Doi, president of the board.

Some parents say the situation highlights a communication disconnect between the board and parents. They also questioned the lack of information about the hiring of a new principal, which the board said it hopes to do next month in time for the start of school in August.

"Parents are just in the dark," said Dana Newberry, whose daughter attends the lab school.

Lab school board members apologized to parents for the apparent communication breakdown. They said the action that caused the concern about the partnership with UH related to a fairly mundane change: the switch of teachers from the Hawai'i Government Employees Association to the Hawai'i State Teachers Association. The union switch should have been made in 2001, when the campus was converted to a charter school. "It's basically complying with the law," Doi said.

Parents were worried that the changes would somehow end the school's historic partnership with the university or even delay the start of the school year. Doi said he's not sure how those rumors were spread, but he said they are simply not true. He said the union change won't affect students.

"The new world will look a lot like the old world," Doi said before yesterday's meeting.

Christine Sorensen, UH College of Education dean, also confirmed the technical change would not affect the partnership the school has with UH. "There's no interest in not having a relationship with the lab school," Sorensen said. "We have had a very long relationship with the school."

About 400 students attend the lab school, operated by the UH Curriculum Research and Development Group in the College of Education.