A new high school for the Frayser area was among several proposals in Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ annual state of the county address Friday.
During his 30-minute speech in Collierville, Harris also touted initiatives to lower the county's jail population, expand healthcare access and clean-up blighted neighborhoods.
Now in his second year in office, Harris wants to bring attention to what he calls “crumbling” school infrastructure. Two high schools in Frayser—MLK Prep and Trezevant High— alone have a combined $20 million in deferred maintenance, making the neighborhood a top candidate for a new school.
“I realize I’ll be asking a lot,” he said. “A new high school building in Frayser or elsewhere could cost upwards of $50 million dollars.”
Funding, Harris said, could be a challenge.
“I realize that we are at the start of what might be a long conversation,” he said, adding, “I know that the only way things ever change is when someone dares to try.”
As part of his criminal justice reform priorities, Harris wants more job training programs for formerly incarcerated people to reduce the likelihood they will reoffend. He argues keeping people out of jail will save the county money.
“Our ability to provide public safety depends on our ability to invest in rehabilitation and reentry and stop these crimes from happening in the first place,” he said.
Harris also wants to stop asking people if they have a criminal record when they apply for a county job.
Other priorities for the mayor include creating a paid family leave policy for county workers, more services for veterans and a focus on environmental sustainability.