That's soooo cool! I'm pleased that the school will restore it.For info about woodworking and veneering, you might post a question in the Craftsmen forum. There are some top-notch woodworkers that hang out there, and I'll bet they know what to do.
If you have any questions about repairing the radio section, I'll try to give you any help I can here. And please post "before" and "after" photos if you can!