217 Today: Schools invest more in mental health resources with pandemic-era federal funds

The exterior of La Moille High School.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Today’s headlines: 

  • An asbestos problem at a local elementary school led the Urbana school board to vote Tuesday night to close it this summer.
  • Illinois police recruits must now complete training on the importance of gathering and analyzing evidence to avoid wrongful convictions.
  • The University of Illinois hosted a Mardi Gras celebration this week. 
  • Students, parents and staff at Schlarman Academy’s north campus in Danville staged a walkout Wednesday morning after the abrupt departure of two administrators from the Catholic junior and senior High School. 

In today’s deep dive, we’ll take a look at the present and future of mental health support in schools.

217 Today is produced by Farrah Anderson. Reporting today contributed by Mae Antar, Luis Velazquez, Owen Henderson, Jim Meadows and Peter Medlin.

 

Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.