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Starting in the 2027–2028 school year, Illinois will be the first state to force annual mental health screenings on all public school kids in grades 3-12. Gov. J.B. Pritzker says it’s about catching issues like anxiety and depression early to boost kids’ well-being and keep them on track academically and socially. It sounds noble, but I’m not sold. This plan raises red flags that could spell more trouble than solutions.

First off, the idea of shifting mental healthcare from reactive to preventive sounds great on paper. Who doesn’t want to stop problems before they spiral? But let’s be real: Illinois schools are already dropping the ball on the basics. According to Wirepoints, only 39% of students—1.1 million kids—read a

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