Just a couple of days prior to the start of the new school year, an official – and celebratory – ribbon-cutting was conducted on the campus of Dent Elementary Schol.
School district officials welcomed the completion and formal dedication of a new wing on the Yosemite Avenue campus, with remarks from District Superintendent Ricardo Chavez, Dent Principal Anthony Varni and Escalon Unified School District Board President Nick Caton.
“It is a great pleasure to stand before you today as we celebrate the opening of the new addition of a classroom wing to our Dent Elementary campus. This is without question a significant milestone for our school and our community,” Chavez said at the Tuesday, Aug. 6 ceremony.
He also shared a little history regarding the school district.
“In 1945, the Enterprise School District was united with the Escalon School District, and the name was changed to Dent Union Elementary School District,” Chavez explained. “In August of 1948, a $133,000 bond was approved and in 1950 a $242,000 new school opened.”
The school was situated on 17 acres and included 16 classrooms and other facilities. Nine years later a $40,000 bond was passed unanimously, and two more classrooms were added.
“In 1967 Dent became part of the Escalon Unified School District. In September of 1975 a new $654,000 building opened to Dent School students. The 15,000 square-foot structure housed four classrooms, a multipurpose room, a cafeteria, offices, and other needed space. Today, we get to celebrate the addition of more classrooms. All of these additions were accomplished in great part through the efforts of our community and via bond funds,” Chavez said.
Several school board members and district officials, along with Dent personnel, were on hand for the ribbon cutting and subsequent tours of the new wing.
“Education is the cornerstone of progress, and these new classrooms represent more than just bricks and mortar. They symbolize our commitment to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment where our children can learn, grow, and thrive,” Chavez added. “With these new facilities, we are investing in the future of our students, ensuring they have access to the resources and space they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.”
Pointing to the project as a collaborative effort, Chavez offered thanks to those that have been instrumental in its completion: “To our dedicated school board members, thank you for your vision and unwavering support. To our incredible MOT (Maintenance, Operations and Transportation) Department, especially our Director John Lial, our former Superintendent, Ron Costa who began the initial modernization phase of Dent several years back, our understanding and supporting staff, teachers, and construction and architectural teams, your hard work and dedication have brought this dream to life. To our Escalon community thank you for your unwavering support.”
CT Brayton and Sons served as the primary contractor on the project and primary architect was Mike Clark with TPH Architects.
For his part, Principal Varni said it has been a journey for all involved, with portions of campus torn up, temporary fences put up and students and staff navigating their way through it while still maintaining focus on the task at hand, education.
“I want to thank our entire Dent Elementary School faculty for their unwavering support through the years it took to complete this beautiful campus. My thanks to our teachers, aides, office personnel, our Vice Principal Mr. Robert Fyke, the food service team, our custodial team, the bussing garage, and most importantly our families that we are privileged to serve, thank you for your patience and your trust in the process,” Varni said.
He also offered praise to those behind the scenes – school board members and the administration – along with the more visible ones, the work crews that were on site.
“The crew was professional, respectful, and accommodating to the needs of our school and our students. Seeing their progress every week was a joy for our staff and students alike. Communication was constant and appreciated,” said Varni. “I want to thank the reasons why we took on this project in the first place, our kids! We encourage our students to create goals and to work through adversity with their heads held high. It is okay if your plan doesn’t work the first time. Throughout all the changes in procedures on campus, the modifications to their recess areas, and how they lined up for school, our kids never wavered. They are the reason why we are all here together this afternoon to celebrate such a beautiful achievement.”
Board president Nick Caton kept his remarks brief, noting he wanted to get the ribbon cutting underway and the new wing in service.
“On behalf of the Escalon Unified School District Board of Trustees, I would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude for those that have allowed us to realize our vision. We have not only come together to celebrate the completion of the Dent Phase 2 modernization project, but also to express our profound thanks for our staff, teachers and community,” Caton said.
The ribbon cutting was followed by tours of the new facilities. The event was hosted on the Dent Campus at 1998 Yosemite beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6; students were utilizing the new wing on the first day of school Thursday, Aug. 8.
