Radford needs
repairs, board told

A $15.9 million federal
windfall should go toward fixing
the school, legislator says

Mililani school draws praise

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

State Rep. Bob McDermott, parents and a five-minute video have let the school board know that Radford High School is still run-down and needs repairs.

McDermott said a federal miscalculation gave the state a $15.9 million windfall in impact aid, which the governor can earmark to fix schools like Radford.

He urged the Board of Education at Hale Kula Elementary School at Schofield Barracks to insist the governor route the money to education and not the general fund to be frittered away.

"Demand it from the governor; don't act nicely," he said. "We passed a resolution in the House today to ask for more money from the federal government."

Frank Destadio, a civil engineer and father of a Radford freshman, said he found maintenance problems at Radford.

But the buildings are sound and just need fixing, Destadio said.

The speakers said they appreciated the corrective action taken so far but said more is needed.

Destadio said a leaking faucet might take a 5-cent washer to fix, but if it goes on leaking, it can rot baseboards and other wood, necessitating an expensive repair job. "I urge you that unless you intend to tear down Radford High School, and I don't believe you do, you need to accomplish those repairs in a timely manner."

Jan Catton, also a Radford parent, spoke of an unreplaced football locker room storage facility. Football gear is stored in boys' lockers and a donated Matson container, she said.

"We feel like we've jumped from the frying pan into the fire at times," she said.

All that's sought are the basics, such as decent bathrooms, she said.

Superintendent Paul LeMahieu assured her a number of planned improvements are set for next month.

Mitsugi Nakashima, board chairman, said the Department of Education does not control funds. That's up to the Department of Accounting and General Services, he said.

"We are doing these jobs as a partnership, and they do yeoman work with the money they have," said Lester Chuck, Department of Education facility director. "We don't have enough money to do all of the repairs.

The departments always ask for what's needed but don't get half of what they seek, he said.

"There are going to be many more Radfords out there if that's going to happen," Chuck said.

However, the Radford football locker room will be taken care of, he said. "That's going to be replaced."

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Mililani school draws
effusive praise from parents
and staff

Star-Bulletin Staff

Two parents and three staff members have praised Mililani Middle School, its multitrack year-round program and quality facilities.

Parents Errol Hahn and Marlene De la Torre said yesterday their children are receiving a fine education there, and they and other parents are actively helping.

They're impressed with the enthusiastic, capable teachers, they said.

Vera Pang, school registrar, gave a glowing summary of what's going on at the school. "We ask for your continued support of Mililani Middle School," she told the board.

Sixth-grade teacher Kyle Shimabukuro said in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, students are learning to simulate such feats as space exploration.

More intermediate schools are becoming middle schools as part of reform aimed at changing the way young adolescents are educated in Hawaii.