KATY, Texas – Katy Independent School District’s Board of Trustees held a work-study meeting Monday night to discuss several topics, including whether to hire chaplains.
The discussion is required under new state law.
Senate Bill 763, authored by Galveston-area State Senator Mayes Middleton, would allow 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.”
“We do have to understand what we’re doing is however you guys want to bring chaplains in, whether an employment capacity or volunteer capacity, you do understand that we’re going to have people of different faith serving in those roles,” Katy ISD General Counselor Justin Graham told trustees. “And that’s going to lead to the natural progression of the advancement of that faith in their discussions with whoever they’re having discussions with.”
The law requires school districts statewide to vote by March 1, 2024.
Chaplains aren’t required to be certified by the State Board of Educator Certification.
Graham shared with the board that they could do one of three things: Maintain the status quo by allowing chaplains to volunteer, hire chaplains in a capacity the board approves, or do neither.
“I just want us to understand if we have a Jewish or Catholic or Muslim or the church of Satan’s angels – chaplains that say, ‘Hey, I’m a chaplain and this is the group that I affiliate with,’ once we open the door and however we open the door, if this board wants to change the direction then we won’t be able to discriminate on based upon the actual faith that’s there,” Graham said.
The board didn’t draft a proposal or vote.
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