Dr. Robert Hodges: Redands Unified Schools April 28, 2008 7:00PM
Following the theme of “history makers” the April program features Robert Hodges, retired Superintendent of the Redlands Unified School District. His talk will discuss the five new schools built in the Redlands District since 1995 and the sixth under construction now. Building schools encompasses passing bonds and that embroils the superintendents’ office in the thick of politics. Hodges was able to retire February 1, 2008 as he successfully passed the bond to complete Redlands Citrus Valley High.
Redlands is noteworthy for Victorian homes, Smiley Library, The Bowl, University of Redlands, Lincoln Shrine and the rural citrus atmosphere. But if one asks parent newcomers on another great attraction the community offers; the answer will be the strong education system of the schools. Real Estate brokers understand this well and sell Redlands on the basis of good schools.
Redlands has a tradition of experienced school superintendents. The first was Lewis B Avery, who helped form the Redlands Unified School District in July of 1906. Avery was the first principal of Redlands Union High (Redlands High) in 1891. His background was in science and he quickly took the new school to statewide recognition and open enrollment for all Redlands grads to Stanford Junior College. Avery had to convince a reluctant citrus community that reading, writing and arithmetic were not wasted “book learnin” objectives in an agricultural community. When he left Redlands in 1908, the district ranked above Los Angeles in scientific improvements, business education (we had typewriters!) and winners in Speech and Debate. Latin and Greek were the two foreign languages stressed.
Dr. Wayne Prescott Smith replaced Avery and gave a memorable “Discourse on Moral Education of Youths” for the Redlands Review in February of 1909. Smith fought for higher teacher salaries and emphasized teacher training in the district. Redlands continued to lead the county, especially after the University of Redlands opened, giving local grads a proximity college experience with a Baptist anchor.
Henry G. Clement, another previous Redlands High principal, took the reins of the district throughout the 1920’s. He held the first school bond election in Redlands that ever failed. Clock Auditorium was deemed expensive and unnecessary by the citizens of Yucaipa and voted down as a community auditorium for Redlands at the expense of Highland and Yucaipa taxpayers. Clement also faced down a “Student Strike” in 1936 because the school board would not allow boys to use the new Girl’s Gym. Through diplomacy and tact, Clement convinced the conservative board that Redland’s morals would stay intact, even while girls dressed and boys bounced a basketball.
Clement pioneered the idea of educating “Junior High” students on their own campus, rather than the elementary or high school level campus. Redlands Junior High was born in his tenure. State compulsory school attendance law was explained by Clement and he is remembered today in the name Clement Middle School, which was formally Clement Junior High.
Clement believed in bringing in name recognized architects to complete school buildings at Mission, Crafton, Kingsbury, Lugonia and Redlands High.
Succeeding Clement in 1937, John Branigan built McKinley and Lincoln while remodeling the junior high shower and locker rooms. He passed the bond to build Mentone Elementary and fought to keep Redlands competitive with a higher teacher salary schedule, college training and health programs.
Our last superintendent in Redlands, Ron Franklin has just stepped down from the Banning-Beaumont District.
Bob Hodges is a product of the Redlands Schools. He attended the old Lugonia School, Franklin, Crafton and Mentone. He attended Redlands Junior High and graduated from Redlands High in 1963. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from California State University, San Bernardino, where he received an administrative services credential.
His teaching career began in 1970 teaching sixth grade at Mission Elementary where he became principal six years later. He has also served as a principal at Franklin and Victoria.
In 1987, Bob transferred to the District Office to work as assistant superintendent business manager and finally in 1994 was named interim superintendent and in 1995 superintendent of the Redlands Unified School District
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Under his tenure, the federal “No Child Left Behind Act” has intertwined with state education, county and district curriculum goals. Academic performance and the co-curricular programs have thrived and Redlands still dominates Speech and Debate, Academic Decathlon and Mock Trial competitions. Very often it is Redlands High v. Redlands East Valley in the final county competitions.
Rarely does a modern school superintendent retire with praise from students, parents, teachers, fellow administrators and the teacher’s union all singing the same praise song. Bob Hodges kept the Redlands District educationally strong following the previous tradition but in the process crossed the line and made it better. He is a Redlands “history maker” in the strongest sense of the definition.
