Dive Brief:
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At least 30 bills introduced in 16 states in 2023 and 2024 have proposed placing chaplains in schools as part of another wave of bills introduced by Republican lawmakers, according to data from the Education Commission of the States, which tracks K-12 legislation.
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This year, Florida and Louisiana have successfully enacted legislation allowing school chaplains in volunteer or employee roles in public school districts. Texas kicked off the trend in June 2023 with the passage of a law allowing chaplains to serve as school counselors.
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The school chaplain measures both passed and introduced are meant to “provide support, services, and programs for students." However, those opposed to such measures say they blur the line between church and state and that chaplains are not trained to serve as professional mental health counselors for students.
Dive Insight:
This week, Florida's Department of Education created a model policy for school districts implementing House Bill 931, which passed in a 28-12 state Senate vote earlier this year.
The law defines a "chaplain" as "an individual who is officially authorized by the leadership of a religion under the religion’s governing principles to conduct religious exercises." It allows chaplains only as volunteers, whereas legislation in other states also allow chaplains as employees.
Under the Florida policy, districts are left to decide the specific services they want chaplains to provide. Some examples provided by Florida's Department of Education include mentoring students and "offering spiritual guidance as requested."
A principal would be allowed to deny a chaplain's application if it is determined “that the individual is not applying to fulfill the program’s purpose or the applicant’s participation will be contrary to the pedagogical interests of the school and the chaplaincy program."
The Florida bill, which went into effect in July, requires parental consent before a student participates in or receives support from a volunteer school chaplain, and they must be allowed to choose the chaplain from a district-created list that includes the chaplain’s religious affiliation.
"These chaplains will serve as an additional resource for students," said Manny Diaz Jr., Florida commissioner of education, in a social media post on Tuesday. "Florida welcomes legitimate and officially authorized chaplains to become volunteers at their local schools and to provide students with morally sound guidance."
Bryan Griffin, spokesman for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, said in a separate post Tuesday, "We strongly encourage school districts to move forward with their chaplaincy programs."
Texas, which spearheaded this chain of legislation, gave its school boards until the end of February 2024 to vote on whether they wanted to adopt a school chaplaincy program. Before districts voted, Texas chaplains from various backgrounds warned districts that the legislation was "harmful" to students, families and schools, because chaplains are not trained or qualified to serve as mental health counselors and they run the risk of "proselytizing" at school. The Texas legislation lists chaplains alongside other behavioral and mental health support sources, such as licensed counselors and social workers.
In the end, districts "overwhelmingly rejected" implementing the option, said the Texas American Federation of Teachers.
"This outcome is a testament to the respect for trained school counselors and the power of local control and community advocacy," said the teachers union in a March statement. However, the group added, "We must remain vigilant. Similar bills targeting public education have already appeared in several other states."
Louisiana is the most recent state to pass such a measure in June, according to ECS data. "This kind of legislation is not uncommon," said Erin Whinnery, senior project manager at ECS, in an email.
Similar to Texas’ measure, the Louisiana legislation allows school chaplains as both employees and volunteers. The legislation does not require chaplains to be certified by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
