Parental rights group questions student data, portal tied to mental health screenings

An Illinois parental-rights organization is raising concerns about how student information could be handled through BEACON, a state behavioral health portal that Awake Illinois describes as a follow-up service connected to the state's upcoming school mental health screening mandate. Shannon Adcock, founder of Awake Illinois, said documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, including a technical design document and a "master eligibility algorithm," raise questions about how student information could be used to determine which state programs are offered to a child. "We're asserting that the end goal here is for a multi-agency record," Adcock said in a social media presentation discussing the organization's concerns. Adcock said the state has indicated that data will be stored in a private Google Cloud environment controlled by the state and that Google does not have access to the contents. "So, Google may have a consumer-style window into a kid's chart, yet the matching engine still runs on Google infrastructure the state rented," she said. The BEACON portal was developed with Google and multiple Illinois state agencies as part of the state's effort to create a centralized entry point for children and families seeking behavioral health services. A state report describes BEACON as a single access point that can connect families with behavioral health resources and resource coordinators. Adcock said parents may not understand how information collected through school-based mental health screenings could intersect with the state's broader behavioral health systems. "I think there are some understandable concerns on the part of parents and anybody who could have control over your children's data in this portal," she said. "I don't think a lot of families understand the follow-up service and how your children's data gets wrapped into this portal that the state oversees and controls." The concerns come as Illinois school districts prepare for a new mental health screening requirement beginning in the 2027-28 school year. Under Public Act 104-0032, districts must offer an annual mental health screening to students in grades 3 through 12, but only in years when the state supplies a qualifying self-report screening tool at no cost to districts. Awake Illinois has released model guidance urging school boards to adopt an opt-in policy requiring affirmative written parental consent. Adcock said the organization intentionally did not focus heavily on BEACON in its initial model policy because it wanted to keep the guidance straightforward, but she said the screening and any subsequent services should be treated separately. "Effectively, the screenings will have a consent or a policy surrounding that, but then the BEACON consent will be separate," Adcock said. "That is how it is going to have to be instituted in the school districts." The organization argues that agreeing to a mental health questionnaire should not automatically constitute permission for a child's information to be entered into a state behavioral health portal or for the child to receive follow-up services. "Opting in does not equate to consent for BEACON, the follow-up service provider with the Google Cloud and the state agency portal and state agency records," Adcock said. The Illinois State Board of Education issued guidance in August regarding implementation of the mental health screening law. The law directs ISBE to provide model procedures addressing issues including confidentiality, privacy, communication with families, data sharing and storage, and follow-up resources. Awake Illinois also pointed to an Aug. 26, 2026, letter from the U.S. Department of Education regarding parental rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, or PPRA. Adcock said the federal guidance has significant implications for Illinois schools. "PPRA implications are huge," she said. The organization also questioned the role of Google in the state system. "Why hire Google if no service is being performed on the data?" Adcock said, referencing questions raised in an Illinois Times report. Adcock said parents and school board members should have access to information about the agreements and technology behind BEACON. "We assert that boards and parents should know what's in this contract," she said. The organization said its model policy separates three components: the statutory requirement that districts offer screenings, the screening tool itself, and clinical follow-up or connections to behavioral health resources. Adcock said parental consent to complete a screening should not automatically be interpreted as consent to treatment, a behavioral health portal or other services. The Illinois law requires districts to offer the screenings; it does not require every student to participate. The U.S. Department of Education's Aug. 26 letter addressed federal parental-rights and student-privacy requirements, including PPRA provisions governing certain surveys and evaluations involving sensitive information. Awake Illinois is urging local school boards to adopt policies that require affirmative parental consent and clearly distinguish screening from any subsequent behavioral health services or data systems.