UPDATE: On Monday, Dec. 16, the Shelby County Commission voted to approve $33,910,683 in funding for the new Frayser High School. The resolution, presented by Commissioner Thornton, passed with 10 votes in favor.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – – Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says a tentative agreement had been reached with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to hand over $34 million more for the construction of the new Frayser High School.

The measure still has to be approved by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners and will bring Shelby County’s total investment for the new school to $112 million.

Mayor Harris said the funding represents a win for kids in the urban core and the entire community. He said students deserve modern, safe, state-of-the-art schools, and the investment will set the community and school system on a new course.

“Through this partnership, we can invest more in Frayser without taking any money away from the planned high school in Cordova,” said Mayor Harris. “This is the first project of its size and will represent the blueprint for what we can do to support students in communities around Memphis and Shelby County.”

MSCS Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins said the money will allow the school district to begin construction earlier than initially planned and said this is an example of what can be achieved through strong partnerships and collaboration.

“Chairwoman Dorse Coleman, Vice Chair Love, and many of our board members have worked tirelessly to ensure this project moves forward as part of our mission to make an unprecedented investment in our students. If approved, this proposal for millions in new funding fulfills a promise to our kids and families, building better schools that inspire and prepare them for the future,” said Dr. Feagins.

The New Frayser High School off Dellwood would merge students from MLK Prep and Trezevant High Schools. Demolition on the old MLK Prep has already begun.

Architectural drawings for the new school were released last month, just days after Memphis City Council rejected a proposed location for a new high school in Cordova over traffic and safety concerns. That school was set to replace Germantown High School.

Shelby County Commissioner Charlie Caswell said Frayser’s need for a new high school is well overdue.

“This partnership between the county and MSCS to allocate additional funds means students will be in a new school sooner, a new era of school construction will begin, and the future will be brighter for our children,” said Caswell.

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners will meet on December 11 and 16.