Starting in the 20272028 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 its 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 Im 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 doesnt want to stop problems before they spiral? But lets be real: Illinois schools are already dropping the ball on the basics. According to Wirepoints, only 39% of students1.1 million kidsread at grade level. Math scores are even worse. If schools cant teach kids to read and write properly, why should we trust them to play therapist? Id argue that building confidence through real academic successpushing kids to excel, not just passdoes more for their mental health than any questionnaire ever could.Then theres the screening itself. Theyre using tablets that ask everything from your mood to your home life. The state says these will be "age-appropriate," but kids, especially young ones, arent exactly known for nuance.ILLINOIS GOV JB PRITZKER LAMBASTED FOR NEW DISASTROUS POLICY REQUIRING MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR KIDSA third-grader might check "sad" because they lost their favorite pencil, or a teen might exaggerate home issues out of frustration. Misinterpretations could lead to overreactionsthink a parent getting a knock from DCFS over a kids bad day.The state promises privacy and follow-ups by professionals, but with thousands of kids screened, whos ensuring every case is handled right? One slip-up, and families could face real consequences. Another slip-up: a school could let a child slip through the cracks.A true psychologist must investigate these issues to get to the root of the problem and that takes time. Were asking teachers and staff to add to their workload and that is not feasible. Also, there has been a shortage of mental health professionals in this country. Look at the Uvalde, Texas, shooting in 2022mental health professionals were in short supply then, and the American Psychological Association reported a nationwide shortage of school psychologists as recently as 2024.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONIllinois schools are already stretched thin with counselors; whos handling the fallout when a kid is flagged? Teachers? Theyre not trained for this, and piling on more work isnt fair or feasible.The data angle is another red flag. These screenings will churn out sensitive infomoods, behaviors, maybe family dynamics. In todays world, information is power, and this data could be sliced up by race, gender or income to spotlight disparities. The states push for health equity, as seen in its Beacon Portal, suggests theyll use this to argue certain groups need more help.The problem with disparities is that race and other immutable characteristics are always blamed it is never based on the individual but on the group. This could spiral into a mess that leaves the mental health issues of the individual student unsolved. Parents already worry about schools overstepping; handing over this kind of data doesnt build trust.Mental health is deeply personal. No two kids are alike, and a one-size-fits-all tablet quiz cant capture that. Schools arent therapy offices. Theyre not equipped to dig into the root of a kids struggles, and with professional shortages, many kids flagged by screenings might not get the help they need.Heres a better way: use the states budget to boost academic programs that build kids confidence alongside targeted mental health support for those who need it. That respects families, eases the burden on overworked schools, and avoids the risk of sensitive data being mishandled or misused. Illinois cant afford to get this wrong. Do you trust a system thats failing at education to handle your kids mental health?CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM PASTOR COREY BROOKS