A South Lakes High School student journalist sat across from Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid on Oct. 23 and asked what the district could do for military families.

The question was one of dozens posed by 27 student reporters at a roundtable at the Gatehouse Administration Center, according to an FCPS account of the event. The session marked the midpoint of the district's 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which set five student-centered goals when it launched in June 2023.

The South Lakes student, identified only as Kaitlyn, asked Reid about easing transitions for students whose parents serve in the military. Reid pointed to FCPS's recent achievement as a Purple Star Division, a Virginia designation meaning 100% of the district's 200-plus schools have trained staff and student ambassadors supporting military-connected students. More than 12,600 such students are enrolled in FCPS, according to the district.

Reid said she is exploring online resources for incoming students. "Just having some landing pages where students can connect; if you could log in and see what's possible, get a virtual tour of the school; I think those are things we're looking at right now," she said.

Tram, a student journalist from Annandale High School representing The A-Blast, asked how the district plans to raise academic expectations for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Reid said the district started offering Spanish-language math classes at a couple of middle schools. At Glasgow Middle School, an eighth-grade Spanish-speaking Algebra I class launched last year, she said, tying the effort to the strategic plan's goal of every student completing Algebra I by eighth grade.

Whether that Glasgow program continues or expands this school year was not addressed.

Ellie, a Falls Church High School student, asked about mental health support for students juggling extracurriculars, grades and personal responsibilities. Reid said youth surveys show student mental health is improving and that efforts to address the fentanyl crisis have been successful. She added that the challenge remains constant.

"I do worry about our strongest students and most active athletes or actors or musicians because I feel like they can mask symptoms longer and then it becomes a really serious issue that we have to deal with," Reid said.

Students also raised questions about safe commutes, universal pre-K and scholarship opportunities, according to the FCPS account. Reid's responses on those topics were not detailed.

The Oct. 23 session was the third student journalist roundtable with Reid, following events in spring 2025 and spring 2026. Each semester focuses on a different topic. A fourth roundtable is planned for spring 2027.