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Houston ISD’s board of managers unanimously voted Thursday to block the hiring of religious chaplains for counseling and support roles in schools, becoming the first large Houston-area district to take a stance on the controversial issue.
The clock is ticking for other school boards. Under a state law passed last year, all Texas public school districts must vote by March 1 on whether to allow chaplains to serve in a school. Chaplains are clergy members that offer religious support in traditionally non-religious, or secular, spaces.
The possibility of employing religious figures in schools has become a divisive issue as conservative lawmakers push to inject more religion in secular spaces. Critics have decried the law they believe will muddy the separation of church and state, while proponents argue chaplains could provide additional support for already-stressed teachers struggling to address students’ mental health.
Here’s how the law works, and what to expect as the deadline for districts to make a decision nears.
What is a chaplain?
Chaplains are representatives of a religious organization that provide spiritual or religious guidance to individuals in secular settings, such as hospitals, prisons or government entities. In a school setting, they may counsel students and staff, or guide them through prayer or other spiritual activities.
What is allowed or required by Texas law?
Senate Bill 763, which went into effect in September 2023, allows all public schools to employ chaplains or use them as volunteers. It requires all school boards in Texas to vote on whether or not they will do so by March 1.
The law specifically allows chaplains to provide behavioral, mental health and suicide intervention services inside public schools. Districts may use school safety funds allocated by the state to pay chaplains.
Chaplains used in schools are not required to have any state education certifications, a major source of pushback from critics. In addition, the law also does not outline any specific training or qualifications for chaplains serving in schools. However, districts could institute their own training requirements, and chaplains must pass a background check under state law.
If a district approves hiring chaplains or allowing them to volunteer in schools, they must accept chaplains of all religious beliefs under federal anti-discrimination laws. This has sparked concern in one local district, Katy Independent School District, where Trustee Rebecca Fox said in an early December 2023 meeting that she doesn’t “want a chaplain who doesn’t speak and know and study my faith.”
Up for debate
The law does not outline a specific policy that school districts would implement if they approve hiring chaplains. Districts that approve the option would be tasked with creating their own policies outlining what it will look like in practice.
Several Houston-area districts, such as Humble and Katy, have held discussions on employing chaplains and heard from local families in recent months, but they haven’t voted on the topic. Some Katy trustees expressed fear that chaplains might attempt to convert children to their religious beliefs.
While support for chaplains in schools fell along party lines in the Legislature, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed, it has become polarizing within the chaplain community. Katy trustees were presented with a letter signed by over 100 Texas chaplains opposing the measure.
“Government-sanctioned chaplains make sense in some settings, but not in our public schools,” the letter reads. “Many of us serve in contexts in which individuals cannot access their religious services — such as the military, a prison, or hospital — which is hardly the case for children in public school.”
At a Humble board meeting on Jan. 9, several local pastors urged the board to adopt a policy embracing their presence in schools. Humble trustees sent the matter to its district advisory committee for review and discussion.
“The unprecedented difficulties facing our children is a great concern to us. … Students shouldn’t have to wait until Sunday to get spiritual support,” Words of Life Church pastor Ruth Parkinson said. “That’s not enough to combat the pressures they face. They need stability that can only be found in God.”
What have Houston-districts decided?
Houston, Goose Creek, Pasadena, Cy-Fair, Galveston and Conroe independent school districts, as well as Lamar Consolidated ISD, have voted against adopting a new policy regarding chaplains in schools. Klein trustees voted unanimously in favor. Several other districts are holding discussions.
This article will be updated as Greater Houston districts decide to allow or block the hire of chaplains by the March 1 deadline. If a district has voted on the issue and is not listed here, please email miranda@houstonlanding.org so we can update this article.
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