Illinois Gov. Jay Robert (J.B.) Pritzker signs into law a new requirement mandating all Illinois schools to conduct mental health screenings for students.
Chute Middle School in Evanston, Illinois, has been offering mental health screenings to students in the district for five years. Inspired by the progress seen in their own students, Evanston-Skokie School District 65 went on to play a significant role in making state-sponsored mental health screenings universal.
On July 31, 2025, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law the first mandate for universal mental health screenings in Illinois schools at Chute Middle School, therefore recognizing their efforts. The law outlines how, beginning in 2027, yearly mental health screenings will be available to students ranging from the third to 12th grade.
Regarding the nature of the mental health screenings, the chief officer for the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, Dana Weiner, explained that the screenings take the form of students completing a self assessment either digitally or physically. Students themselves are not mandated to take the screenings, as parents are allowed to opt out if they choose. What is mandated by the law is access to the screenings, the resources for which will be provided by the state.
The screenings themselves will not be used to diagnose students. Their intended purpose, as explained by state Senator Laura Fine, is as a form of detection. The screenings will be “age-appropriate and confidential” according to Sen. Fine and will be used to “catch the early signs of anxiety, depression or trauma before it becomes a crisis or, in some cases, [is] sometimes too late.”
While the mental health screenings will not become available until the 2027-2028 school year, the Illinois Board of Education is required to provide resources and guidance to schools by Sept. 1, 2026, giving school districts time to prepare and implement these measures.
