More than 200 Atlanta school employees will receive mental health training and students at 25 middle and high schools will participate in a suicide prevention program paid for with funding from Fulton County.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 Wednesday to give Atlanta Public Schools $250,000 this year for various programs. 

The school district will use $52,850 to provide eight hours of mental health training to 216 staff members, who will learn the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in children, according to the district’s request for funding. It also will cover a suicide prevention program at 25 middle and high schools.

Nearly $70,000 of the county’s money will pay for 10 vision screening machines to detect eyesight problems in students.

The district also will use the money to pay for attendance incentives and to provide “mini-grants” to schools to support activities and events.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Views of the exterior of Druid Hills High School in Atlanta shown on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. In the plan approved by the DeKalb County school board on Monday, everything but the main building, pictured here, will be demolished in favor of a new school building. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller

Featured

Jo'wan Bellamy taught in the GNETS program for 17 years and recently transferred to Atlanta’s new behavioral program at Crawford Long Middle School. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com