Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray visited Kingsbury High School Friday, September 20th. 

Ray, who was appointed as interim superintendent and then elected to the permanent position last year, said the district is aware and working on several issues SCS students face. 

“There are other places within our school district that we really need to step it up, and I’m committed to the students and Shelby County Schools because all students and teachers and staff deserve a clean, safe learning environment,” Ray said.

Ray said the system currently has a half-billion dollars worth of deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed. 

“It takes dollars to do that; so, our County Commission would really need to dedicate dollars to help us to get in and to fix some of the prevailing things that have happened over time,” Ray said. 

The City of Memphis contributes “$0 towards  education” of students who are in the SCS system, Ray said.

Although Ray says he is dedicated to improving SCS schools, he says there have been some challenges.

President Trump has had a direct effect on getting the gym AC at Kingsbury fixed, Ray said. Trump enacted tariffs on China which delayed being able to receive parts for the AC units. 

Ray said he will relay other concerns, such as the bathroom conditions at Kingsbury, to his team.

“I’m committed to ensuring students have what they need to have here at Kingsbury High School as I am with all schools,” Ray said. “Having a safe, clean learning environment is paramount.” 

Another challenge Ray faces is a shared maintenance budget, which he says he has to find ways to spread it across all SCS schools.

“All students, teachers and staff deserve a clean, safe learning environment, and as Superintendent, I’m committed to that,” Ray said.