Demopolis schools to release early Friday

Demopolis City Schools are set to release at 12:50 p.m. Friday and then repeat the early release Friday, Sept. 13.

The early dismissal is a byproduct of the Demopolis High School football team’s back-to-back road trips to the Mobile area for regional contests.

“We’re releasing early to allow for safe travel time,” Demopolis City Schools Superintendent Dr. Al Griffin said. “Your athletes and your band, they need to leave early anyway. Looking at it, logistically, if we stay in school, by the time everything is clear, it is 3:30. That is not ample, safe time to get to Saraland or Citronelle on Friday afternoon in traffic. You’re already competing with people going back and forth to the beach. It’s best just to go ahead and release early. Let’s not alter our lunch schedule. We’ll release as soon as the lunch waves are complete.”

The Tigers are scheduled to travel to face Citronelle this week before returning to the Mobile area to challenge Saraland next week.

“The principals, they have an option. I know one Friday they may run regular schedule and then they’re talking about the next Friday, having seventh period first period and vice versa so you don’t lose any additional instructional time. You’re not picking on one specific period,” Griffin said. “Just from a safety standpoint, it’s best to let everyone go because you have teachers and educators who want to go and they just can’t safely make it (with the regular schedule).”

A call is set to go out on the DCS alert system Thursday, informing parents of the early dismissal time.

The Tigers have three Mobile teams among their seven region games. Demopolis will host Satsuma this season after traveling to face that squad a season ago.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association will redraw region alignments near the conclusion of this academic year.

“Maybe, from this day forth, our area counter games will not be so far. That’s at least three hours away,” Griffin said.