KATY, Texas – The Katy ISD school board rejected a proposal to allow chaplains to serve as school counselors during a public meeting Monday night.
- ORIGINAL STORY: Katy ISD considers hiring chaplains as part of new law
The discussion was required as part of a new state law that passed last year.
Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-District 11) authored Senate Bill 763, which allows school districts to hire or accept chaplain volunteers to “provide support, services, and programs for students as assigned by the board of trustees of the district.” Under the law, chaplains aren’t required to be certified by the State Board of Education.
“I think that if students are hungry for something, we give them access to so many different things that if they are grasping for something that is spiritual, and if it’s good and there is light attached to it, then I don’t see what is wrong with offering them an option for something that would administer to them,” Savannah Pedigo told KPRC 2 following the meeting.
Jarred Burton disagreed.
“I’m very much against it,” Burton said. “I don’t believe it’s necessary for the roles that chaplains play. Normally you put chaplains in places where people of faith can’t access any religious service otherwise, but schools is really not a zone where you need that and especially given the separation of church and state. Public schools are an extension of the state, so we don’t need religious influences.”
KPRC 2 reporter Re’Chelle Turner was at Monday’s school board meeting and heard several different opinions during public comment.
“School counselors play a crucial role in in the academic and emotional well-being of our students. They provide guidance, sport and resources to help navigate the challenges of adolescence. They are professionals with to address a wide range of issues from academic struggles to mental health concerns,” one man said during public comment.
“I believe that is spiritual care, chaplains do not count, they’re not professional counselors, they’re professionally trained to address the spiritual needs of those at school,” commented one chaplain.
All districts in Texas are required to make a decision by March 1 on whether to allow chaplains to serve as school counselors.
Houston ISD voted on the measure and decided not to move forward with chaplains.
Klein ISD released this statement:
“Nothing has changed in Klein ISD as a result of Senate Bill 763. As we have for decades, Klein ISD will continue to employ certified, professional counselors at every school, and we will continue to have great partnerships with our faith-based community, many of whom are already active in our schools as approved volunteers. As always, any volunteer working with our students in the capacity of a mentor must have parental approval and pass appropriate background checks prior to doing so.”
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