Students in third grade through high school will be able to receive free annual mental health screenings in Illinois public schools beginning in the 2027-28 school year.

The new requirement comes from Senate Bill 1560, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law July 31.

Some unknown factors remain surrounding the legislation.

School districts still don’t know what the screenings will look like, how they will be implemented and where their funding will come from.

Still, some school leaders agree that proactive mental health support for students is needed.

‘National first’

Pritzker lauded the new law as “a national first worth celebrating” at a news conference after the legislation passed.

“Access to mental healthcare – especially for children – is too often overlooked or ignored," he said.

State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said the universal screenings are part of a shift “from reaction to prevention.”

“Too often, we only recognize a student’s distress when it becomes a crisis,” Sanders said at the conference.

The bill was approved 52-0 by the Senate, but there was some disagreement in the House, where it passed on a partisan 72-36 vote, with Democrats supporting it.

Specifically, House Republicans argued that the bill would not be as effective as Pritzker believed in addressing students’ mental health, and that it could lead to issues with confidentiality.

Specifics of the law

The legislation gives parents the ability to opt their children out of the screenings.

The screenings will be free for school districts, but they’ll only be available in years when the state has designated funds for the development of a mental health screening tool.

The State Board of Education and a children’s behavioral health team within the governor’s office will develop procedures and guidance for a “phased approach” to implementing universal screenings, the new law states.

Mental health materials will be provided to school districts beginning Sept. 1, 2026.

The guidance is to include mental health screening tools and associated training for school personnel.

In addition to the ability to opt out, the procedures must also include confidentiality and privacy considerations, communication about the use of mental health screenings, data sharing and storage of screening results, and plans for follow-up and linkage to resources after screenings, the law states.

School leaders weigh in

Yorkville School District 115 Superintendent Matt Zediker said the law pushes districts to be proactive with their students’ mental health.

“The challenges of implementing will be from a human resource perspective,” Zediker said. “This could have the potential of stretching our current team to it’s limits. Beyond just the cost of administering the screening, there is a hidden cost for districts in hiring more qualified staff to work with identified students and their mental health needs.”

Zediker said their social emotional staff will create and implement processes for the district.

“Our hope is we can utilize existing instruments to measure this for students, but we are waiting on some of those logistics from the state.”

Oswego 308 Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Jeremy Bell said the district is already engaging in their social emotional learning curriculum as well using Panorama as a universal screener tool.

Bell said the law captures the importance of identifying early warning signs indicating when students need additional support.

“Parents should be aware that screenings are not diagnostic instruments that lead to any type of diagnosis,” Bell said. “They offer a snapshot of indicators to guide those who might provide extra support in social emotional learning areas.”

Bell said any identified needs will receive school-based resources or referrals for support. He said their staff have gained vital experience using screening data in tandem with social emotional learning and partnering with community-based agencies.

“The hope is the screenings will open the door to access broader support services and allow us to personalize interventions so every student who needs help receives the appropriate support at the appropriate time.”

Plano 88 Superintendent Tracy Thurwanger said the law is a tool to continue their efforts supporting mental health and keeping parents informed and engaged in the process.

“The new screenings will complement our existing supports, including social workers, school counselors, and partnerships with community agencies,” Thurwanger said. “Our goal is to connect students and their families to resources at the earliest opportunity. Our district employs licensed social workers in each building who already work closely with students and staff on social-emotional needs.”

Thurwanger said it’s important to note the tools are not diagnostic tools, but meant to identify students who may benefit from additional support. She said the school uses the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment, a standardized behavior rating scale used to assess students’ social-emotional competencies. The district already administers them annually.

“We will continue to provide professional development to ensure screenings are used appropriately to serve the needs of our students.”

Batavia 101 Director of Student Services Natalie Assell said screenings for social and emotional health have been a part of the district for years.

“It is important that these screening results be looked at in conjunction with multiple sources of data and incorporate the personal knowledge of staff about each student they care for,” Assell said. “It is important a variety of stakeholders are involved in reviewing and responding to the data, (including) teachers, social workers, psychologists and administrators.”

Assell said the district is awaiting guidelines and resources set to be released by the ISBE by Sept. 1, 2026. She said once those detailed implementation tools and resources are available the district can assess their practices.

“We are very proud of our current systems and our community partnerships addressing mental health and are always looking for ways to better meet the needs of our students, staff and families,” Assell said.