Twenty years ago, the idea of Port of Los Angeles High School (POLAHS) seemed far-fetched at best.
The public charter high school, rooted in San Pedro’s maritime history, initially lacked a building, funding, and students. Still, a small group of community leaders believed in the vision. Despite these challenges, POLAHS opened in 2005 with just over 100 students, many of whom attended classes on the beach while waiting for the first classrooms to be ready.
“When we opened the doors in 2005, it was a miracle. Nobody thought it could happen,” recalls Camilla Townsend, who’s credited as the school’s founder. “We had no building, no money, no students. We didn’t even have furniture. But we had a mission.”
That mission was to create a college preparatory school with a maritime focus—one that honored San Pedro’s history while preparing its students for the future. Townsend and her allies wrote grants, courted donors, and persuaded the Port of L.A. to purchase the former Evergreen Marine Corp. buildings at Fifth and Centre streets to serve as the school’s home. Little by little, POLAHS took shape.
IT STARTED WITH A VISION
The story of POLAHS begins with Townsend, a beloved educator and longtime San Pedro civic leader who served on the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners and was the past president of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. In the early 2000s, while leading the Chamber’s Business, Education, and Arts Committee, she spearheaded efforts to revitalize Downtown San Pedro. A visit to a charter school in Orange County convinced her that San Pedro needed its own.
“I was driving back over the Vincent Thomas Bridge after visiting the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana,” she recalls, “and I said, ‘We’ve got to do this in San Pedro.’ We had plenty of buildings. It was just a matter of getting the money and getting started.”
Townsend had long championed connecting the Port’s resources with San Pedro’s future. She believed education was the key.
“None of this would exist without Camilla,” says Erin Loveridge, POLAHS’s longtime director of development. “She’s a force of nature. Her vision and determination created this school, and we’re still building on that foundation every day. What she started wasn’t just a school, it was a movement. She inspired others to believe it could happen. I deeply value her years of mentorship.”
Townsend wasn’t alone. Along with a dedicated Board of Trustees and help from her friend and fellow former educator, Sandy Bradley, she assembled a team of early teachers, administrators, and community partners who were willing to take a leap of faith. “It was about giving kids opportunities they weren’t going to get anywhere else,” Townsend says.
LEARNING ON THE BEACH
When POLAHS first opened in September 2005, the school had just 100 students, five teachers, and not a single classroom to call its own. Classes met at the Cabrillo Beach Youth Waterfront Sports Center, where cafeteria tables doubled as geography classrooms, workout rooms became English class, and one science class was taught outdoors with a whiteboard strapped to a signpost with bungee cords.
“Whenever people complain about not having materials, I remind them, ‘You don’t even know,’” says current principal Tim Dikdan, one of the original teachers. “We started teaching on the beach with bungee cords and clipboards.”
Dikdan also recalls the day the school’s mascot was chosen. “We were on the beach, trying to decide on colors and a mascot. One of my students jokingly said ‘polar bears,’ and at first, the kids laughed. But I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s genius.’ It tied into our name—POLAHS, Polar Bears—it’s a marine animal, an endangered species, something students could rally around. And it wasn’t just ferocious or just cuddly. It had both sides, which is what a mascot should be.”
PROGRAMS WITH PURPOSE
From its earliest days, POLAHS set itself apart by offering more than a typical high school curriculum. Today, the school provides career technical education (CTE) pathways in skilled trades, digital media, and maritime studies, giving students practical training and industry credentials in sectors closely connected to San Pedro’s economy and beyond.
Students in the maritime program learn skills closely tied to the waterfront, ranging from navigation and seamanship to boat building and port operations. The skilled trades pathways introduce them to construction, plumbing, electrical, and welding, while the digital media program develops their skills in film, photography, and graphic design—fields essential to a modern creative economy.
These programs, combined with rigorous college-prep coursework, ensure POLAHS graduates leave with both academic and real-world experience. “From our international study abroad program to the annual scholarship fund, it’s about creating opportunities,” says Loveridge. “We’re not just preparing students for college, we’re preparing them for life.”
ALUMNI MAKE WAVES
Two decades later, POLAHS alumni can be found all across the country and around the world. Some are pursuing advanced degrees in law, medicine, and education; others have built careers in the military, maritime trades, or public service.
Loveridge notes that the true success of POLAHS alumni isn’t just in their professional achievements but in their ongoing ties to the school and community. “It’s amazing to see how far our graduates have gone,” she says. “But what really matters is that they give back, and they carry San Pedro with them wherever they go.”
BUILDING FOR TOMORROW
As POLAHS celebrates 20 years, the school is already planning the next chapter. With nearly 1,000 students enrolled now, the school that once held classes on the beach is getting ready for a major campus expansion.
“We’re not done,” says Loveridge. “Our students deserve the best, and we’re going to keep pushing for them.” Under her guidance, POLAHS has already secured more than $20 million in grants and donations for programs and capital improvements. The biggest project yet, however, is still on the horizon.
The school has proposed a new multi-story addition to be built on the blacktop behind the main building. The facility would house existing CTE pathways while also providing space for a gym, science labs, and collaborative learning areas. The expansion aims to reduce overcrowding and give POLAHS the room it needs to continue growing.
Currently, the project hinges on winning a competitive state grant. “We’ll apply this fall, and if we’re awarded the funding, it will be transformative for our students and community,” Loveridge says.
TWENTY YEARS YOUNG
Because San Pedro is San Pedro, even after 20 years, some still call POLAHS the “new high school.” But for its founders, faculty, alumni, and the San Pedro community overall, the school is anything but new. They have become a Downtown San Pedro fixture, uplifting the surrounding neighborhood and supporting the local economy.
As POLAHS celebrates 20 years, the school that started with 100 students and no classrooms now stands as one of San Pedro’s proudest accomplishments. They continue to grow, innovate, and show what’s possible when a community invests in its future.
For Townsend, the school highlights the power of vision and perseverance. “I still look at the school and think, ‘We did this,’” she says. “It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.” spt
For more information on Port of Los Angeles High School, visit polahs.net.
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