Demopolis schools address high school mildew concerns, approve Homecoming schedule changes

Demopolis City Schools Superintendent Dr. Adam Pugh addressed concerns Monday about mildew found in some classrooms at Demopolis High School, saying the district is working to determine what is causing excess moisture in the affected rooms.

The district sent an email to parents earlier Monday saying it was aware of condensation and signs of mildew in several classrooms at the high school.

The issue is “isolated to a very small number of classrooms, and we are actively working to identify the cause and resolve it as quickly as possible,” the district said in the message.

During Monday’s Demopolis City Schools Board of Education meeting, Pugh said crews have cleaned the affected units and that the designer of the school’s air-conditioning system has installed sensors in the rooms experiencing problems. The sensors will collect data to help determine what is causing the condensation and what temperature settings are needed to prevent moisture from accumulating.

The health department also inspected the school after receiving a complaint from a parent about the mildew, Pugh said.

Facilities Director Mark Heaton said he will document the issues and the district’s progress in addressing them and provide that information to the school board.

Homecoming parade returns to daytime

In other business, the board approved a change to this year’s Demopolis High School Homecoming schedule that will be familiar to longtime Demopolis residents.

Students will be released at noon on Friday, Oct. 23, so they can attend the Homecoming parade, which will travel through downtown Demopolis beginning at 1 p.m.

For the past several years, the parade has been held Thursday night and followed by a bonfire on the practice field near Demopolis Middle School.

This year, the pep rally and bonfire will be held Thursday night in the bus and visitor parking lot next to Tiger Stadium, while the parade will move back to Friday afternoon.

Senior Lawson Boone, president of the Demopolis High School senior class, told board members the student council wanted to return to the previous format in hopes of increasing student and community participation. Demopolis will host Selma High School in the Homecoming game Friday night, which will also include the presentation of the Homecoming Court.

“This will help with momentum to get more students to the game that night,” Boone said. “It will encourage a more community atmosphere and get everyone involved. When I was a kid, I found it so exciting to go to the parade right after getting my face tattoo and then go to the game.”

U.S. Jones construction behind schedule

The board also received an update on ongoing construction at the 100-year-old U.S. Jones Elementary School.

Work on improvements to the school began over the summer with a goal of completing the project in September. Pugh told board members Monday that the overall project is only about 50% complete.

Several classes have been temporarily relocated to the library while construction continues. Pugh said work specifically involving the classrooms is about 70% complete.

There was better news on a separate drainage project at U.S. Jones. Pugh said the necessary pipes were delivered Friday and work on the drainage improvements is scheduled to begin Tuesday.