Some schools are training students to help spot early signs of mental illness in their peers, and connect them with adult support. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine awarded $4.8 million in grants to nearly 100 schools across the state to help them improve the overall safety and security of their buildings. DeWine announced 98 schools in 27 counties will implement safety upgrades with funding from Ohio's K-12 School Safety Grant Program.

Parents, teachers and community members can help with the transition of students returning to school as the pandemic continues.

A new program aims to give underserved students of color extra support to close education and workforce training gaps that have grown worse during the pandemic. The Racial Equity for Adult Credentials in Higher Education (REACH) program helps Black, Hispanic and Native American students deal with barriers to attending community colleges that many white students don't face.

Many Fairfax County Public Schools students were experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression even before the pandemic struck nearly two years ago and county officials are struggling to maintain adequate mental-health staffing to address those concerns.

More prestigious schools, including the University of Virginia, are seeing transfers as an engine of diversity.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, three-quarters of students have reported struggles with anxiety and depression, and more than 50% have reported their mental health as “fair” or “poor,” according to a recent Inside Higher Ed survey.