Radford High's population of military students means
constant change but offers teachers a learning experience
From The Star-Bulletin
Vol. 12, Issue 308 - Sunday, November 4, 2007
It takes not just a village, but an educational facility to raise a child. Schools become a "third family" for most children, after their immediate relatives and their neighbors, and the intense experience of high school resonates throughout one's life. "Where you grad?" is the most common get-to-know-you piece of small talk in the islands.
So it's not uncommon for aunties and uncles and other assorted relatives to pass through the same neighborhood school, providing a sense of continuity and community. That is, except for one school: Adm. Arthur W. Radford High School on Salt Lake Boulevard. Because of the high number of military dependents in the school, the student body is constantly churned.
The population is dependent on location. Radford High bumps up against the sprawling Aliamanu Military Reservation, and it's within walking distance of Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base. Before Moanalua High School was built, Radford also hosted kids from Fort Shafter. Although the percentage was much higher in the past, about two-thirds of Radford's students are still in military families. Other schools, such as Kalaheo and Mililani, also have military students, but not in these numbers -- about one-third of the student body changes every year.
"You don't see the grads coming back and living in the community the way you do at other schools," mused Principal Robert Stevens. He has been at Radford more than three decades, starting there in 1970 as a physical education teacher.
"What's special about the place is that I learn from the kids. Military kids often have a real sense of history because they've been places. Hawaii kids have read about the Liberty Bell; military kids have actually seen the Liberty Bell. This makes discussions in class so rich."
The student population has dropped since 1970, when it numbered 3,300; today, 1,250 are in attendance. "The military has downsized; four Samoan churches on military property have moved away -- the population is changing," Stevens said.
According to a study conducted by sociologist Rudi Williams, military dependents tend to score higher on tests, are less likely to become delinquents, have a higher median IQ and are much more likely to achieve a college degree than their civilian counterparts.
The downside? Constant reintroduction to new social groups and communities forces the military dependent to assimilate quickly. Achieving a comfort zone of community life is impossible.
Radford High's legendary faculty couple, football coach John Velasco and counselor Barbara Velasco, recognized this in the 1960s, Stevens said. "Mr. V created instant community ties with sports, and Mrs. V made everyone welcome with activities. That's why our sports and dances are remembered with affection by our alumni."
