Dent Middle School Marks 100 Years With New Arts Building
The Columbia school rededicated its campus and cut the ribbon on a new creative and fine arts facility during its centennial celebration.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education
Dent Middle School marked a century of educational excellence on October 28, 2026, with a rededication ceremony and official ribbon cutting for its new creative and fine arts building. The school is the oldest in Richland School District Two.
Why it matters
The centennial recognizes a school that evolved from a five-classroom rural schoolhouse into a middle school serving the Dentsville community. The new facility adds dedicated space for creative and fine arts within the district.
Dent Middle School has operated for 100 years, beginning as a five-classroom rural schoolhouse and at various points serving grades first through 12th, as a high school, and as a junior high. The stub does not report enrollment or the new building's size or cost.
The players
Dent Middle School
Dent Middle School is the oldest school in Richland School District Two, located in the Dentsville area of Columbia.
Richland School District Two
Richland School District Two is the public school district that includes Dent Middle School in the Columbia area.
Mark Huhtanen
Mark Huhtanen is the Senior Chief Operations Officer of Richland School District Two who delivered the centennial address.
Dr. Kim Moore
Dr. Kim Moore is the superintendent of Richland School District Two.
The details
Craig Gaulden Davis PBK Architecture designed the new fine arts facility and Hood Construction built it. The centennial event included a rededication ceremony and an official ribbon cutting, with Senior Chief Operations Officer Mark Huhtanen delivering the centennial address for Superintendent Dr. Kim Moore.
Timeline
October 28, 2026: Dent Middle School holds its centennial rededication ceremony and fine arts building ribbon cutting.
Legacy Context
As the oldest school in Richland School District Two, Dent Middle School's 100-year history spans its evolution from a rural schoolhouse to a modern middle school with dedicated fine arts space. The centennial places the new building within that long institutional lineage.
Families in the Dentsville area and across Richland School District Two can now point to a new dedicated space for creative and fine arts at Dent Middle School. The centennial also gives the community a moment to recognize the school's long role in local education.
The takeaway
A school that began as a five-classroom rural schoolhouse now marks a century of service with a new arts facility. The milestone shows how local institutions can expand their programs while keeping their long-standing community ties.
Further reading
For more on school milestones, explore Secondary Education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Columbia Star - Columbia's locally owned weekly newspaper since 1963.
