There are various factors that go into creating a safe and healthy academic environment for more than 188,000 students in Fairfax County.

In the wake of the Stoneman Douglas incident last February, security has been a raging topic amount students and faculty. In AHS this past March, students organized and staged a walkout in favor of the controversial topic of gun control.

“Things like the Parkland shooting have made students scared to come to school,” junior Cynthia Nguyen said. “It’s a good thing that the county has taken the initiative to do this; these actions will make us feel safer.”

$0.8 million of the county’s budget will be used to fund eight new positions, including security trainers and planners. This will help the goal of having more tabletop exercises, which are used to determine each schools plan for emergency situations. There will also be videos and scripts shown to students regarding lockdown drills and what to do in that situation.

“The tabletop exercises will definitely make us students feel more protected at school,” junior Lamis Osman said. “Things like lockdown drills will give us peace of mind for if the real thing happens.”

Additionally, the mental health and well-being of a student are essential to their performance in school and stability as a whole.

A portion of the budget approved by the Fairfax County School Board targets its improvement of health support towards middle schools and elementary schools. $2.16 million of the Board’s approved budget will add 18 psychologist and social worker positions to the county.