Legislatures, armed forces branches, prisons, hospitals, police departments—many groups hire chaplains. Some lawmakers want chaplains in public schools too. But the plan faces serious backlash.
Chaplains are clergy members serving in non-church ministries. Texas is at the forefront of the movement to place chaplains in schools. The push came after a tragic incident at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Last year, lawmakers passed Texas Senate Bill 763. It reads: “A school district . . . may employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students.”
Texas gave school districts six months to vote on chaplains. The proposal prompted conflict.
Many people, including religious groups, oppose the chaplaincy campaign. They say it’s dangerous to place an authority in a school without clear guidelines. Some believe that’s especially true about people not trained or certified by the state.
Some critics claim the bill defies the separation of church and state by possibly allowing evangelizing at schools. They further say it could undermine equal treatment of all faiths and threaten religious minorities.
Meanwhile, supporters insist chaplains offer many benefits. These include addressing a nationwide youth mental health crisis, encouraging teachers to keep teaching, and offering spiritual care to students who cannot attend religious schools.
Some supporters want chaplains as one part of a bigger religious foundation in schools. They also want to help parents become involved in curriculum choices and push for tuition assistance for private and religious schools.
In a vote earlier this year, 25 of the largest Texas school districts presented as against the chaplaincy bill. Some voted against allowing chaplains to be either employees or volunteers. Others voted to allow chaplains to serve as volunteers only.
In the meantime, varying school chaplain bills have been introduced in many Southern and Midwestern states, with mixed success.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a school chaplain bill in April. An Indiana proposal passed one chamber but failed in the other.
In Utah, a proposal failed. Lawmaker John Johnson says he observed an “outright disdain for religious principles within our schools” during meetings on the matter. He predicts that attitude will have consequences—like more families choosing to leave public schools.
“There’s no part of Texas where folks want untrained, unqualified, unsupervised religious chaplains replacing school counselors,” Representative James Talarico told reporters at an Austin news conference.
State Senator Mayes Middleton authored the Texas chaplaincy bill. He says under it, chaplains would complement counseling services, not replace them. He calls the bill “another tool on the table for our students.”
Why? Thinking through complex issues of church and state, religion in schools, and just treatment of others is a valuable exercise. Analyzing multiple views helps build better citizens—for the country and for the kingdom.
