With Monday’s release of state Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports the Demopolis City School System can take one huge sigh of relief: They made it.

The school system as a whole achieved AYP status but superintendent Dr. L. Wayne Vickers said that doesn’t mean Demopolis doesn’t have its challenges.

“We made achieved AYP status in every category except for one — attendance at the middle school,” he said. “We needed 95 percent for AYP status and we scored a 94. We were that close. One point. Maybe less. That’s something we can remedy.”

Increased communication between faculty and parents, Vickers said, would play a large part in getting that elusive extra point.

“When the students are out, we need to call and let the parents know what they’re missing,” he said. “We need to make sure we’re keeping the kids excited and motivated so they won’t miss school. I’m confident the teachers and the principal at the middle school are doing a good job and know we’re headed in the right direction.”

Vickers said each city school met AYP status in reading and math, critical academic categories.

Still, Vickers said the goal for the system as a whole was to pass every category year after year.

“When each of your schools — Demopolis High School, U.S. Jones, Westside Elementary and Demopolis Middle School – make AYP academically, you know something’s working,” he said. “But the goal is to have all schools make (AYP) in all categories and we’re working toward that. I know we’ll get there.”

The state Department of Education reported that 1,140 of Alabama’s 1,367 schools made AYP. In all, 83.39 percent of schools across Alabama met 100 percent of their goals to achieve AYP.