Here’s how students in St. Clair County can get free school supplies & physicals

Kelly Smits
·5 min read

It’s back-to-school season, and that means students across Illinois will need physicals and new school supplies to kick off the year healthy and prepared.

Under state law, students are required to get health exams before starting kindergarten, sixth and ninth grades or if they transferred from out of state. Sports physicals are also required for students participating in athletics.

Many St. Clair County school districts and community groups are hosting events in the upcoming weeks where students can get free or low-cost physicals, dental care, backpacks, school supplies and more.

Nearly 600 students in Belleville 201, Belleville 118 and Signal Hill 181 can get free physicals at District 201’s new health and wellness clinic in the leadup to the new school year. Elementary students who receive a free physical at the clinic will also get a backpack with school supplies, courtesy of Belleville West High School alumnus and NBA player E.J. Liddell.

Students and parents or guardians in the three districts can call 618-222-3910 to schedule an appointment. Appointments can also be made during school registration.

Students in East St. Louis 189 and Cahokia 187 can get physicals, immunizations and other services at SIHF Healthcare’s school-based health centers at East St. Louis Senior High School and Cahokia High School.

During the summer, the centers are open one day a week. The center at East St. Louis Senior High School is open Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center at Cahokia High School is open Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SIHF does bill insurance, so technically the physicals are not free, according to Corporate Director of Communications and Strategy Beth Ann Gailey. SIHF accepts most major insurance plans — which usually cover school physicals with no copay — including Medicaid. For students and families that don’t have insurance, SIHF has a sliding fee discount plan based on household income and size. SIHF also has staff available to help families find affordable health insurance.

SIHF is hosting its Annual Metro East Summer Health Bash Saturday, and its mobile unit is deployed at many back-to-school events in the upcoming weeks, Gailey said.

Here are other events in Belleville, East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights, ordered by date:

Annual Metro East Summer Health Bash

  • Saturday, July 20

  • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • SIHF Healthcare, 2001 State St., East St. Louis, IL 62205

Students from across the metro-east can get school and sports physicals and immunizations at SIHF Healthcare’s Annual Metro East Summer Health Bash. There will also be wellness activities, a bike and helmet giveaway, DJ, food truck and more. Call 618-482-4562 to preregister for physicals.

Fairmont City Library Center Back to School Bash

  • Thursday, July 25

  • 4 to 7 p.m.

  • Fairmont City Library Center, 4444 Collinsville Road, Fairmont City, IL 62201

SIHF Healthcare, Molina Healthcare, Puentes de Esperanza, The Latino Roundtable, the Mississippi Valley Library District and the Fairmont City Christian Activity Center are hosting a Back to School Bash where students can get free backpacks and school supplies, school physicals with SIHF Healthcare, haircuts by local stylists, dental screenings with Dental Safari, vision screenings with the Lions Club and more.

Harmony-Emge 178’s Back to School Bash

  • Friday, Aug. 2

  • 12 to 2 p.m.

  • Emge Junior High School, 7401 Westchester Dr., Belleville, IL 62223

Harmony-Emge School District 187 is partnering with Commerce Bank and other local organizations to host its Back to School Bash, which will have entertainment, free food, free backpacks courtesy of Emge Junior High alumnus and NFL player C.J. Coldon, free school supplies, school physicals at SIHF’s mobile unit, games and more.

East St. Louis Annual Back to School Event

  • Saturday, Aug. 3

  • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, 101 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Circle, East St. Louis, IL 62204

The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation is partnering with Focusonthecity.org, Ameren Illinois and Molina Healthcare on the East St. Louis Annual Back to School Event. They’re giving away free clear and regular backpacks, books, clothing and sporting goods. The child must be present to receive a backpack. There will also be raffles for an HD TV, a Chromebook laptop and four $50 gift cards.

See details on the right side of Focusonthecity.org for how you can donate money via Paypal or CashApp or backpacks via DollarDays, Bags In Bulk or Amazon.

East St. Louis 189 also directly provides donated backpacks filled with school supplies from students, according to Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships Sydney Stigge-Kaufman. The district currently has confirmation from Edward Jones and the Dhvani Foundation that they will be providing a number of free backpacks with school supplies.

St. Clair County Regional Office of Education’s Back to School Bash

  • Thursday, Aug. 8

  • 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.

  • St. Clair County Regional Office of Education, 1000 S. Illinois St., Belleville, IL 62220

The truancy team at the St. Clair County Regional Office of Education is hosting a Back to School Bash, where students can get a free backpack, school supplies, physicals and hygiene products.

Cahokia 187’s Back 2 School Festival

  • Saturday, Aug. 10

  • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • Cahokia Heights Fitness and Community Center, 509 Camp Jackson Road, Cahokia Heights, IL 62206

Cahokia Community Unit School District 187, in conjunction with the city of Cahokia Heights and Centreville township, is hosting its Back 2 School Festival, which will include a bookbag and supplies giveaway, school physicals, Dental Safari, live music, food and more.

Do you know of an event the BND should add to this list? Email Education and Environment Reporter Kelly Smits at ksmits@bnd.com.