Senate Bill 763 gives public school districts the option to replace school counselors with religious chaplains. SB 763 doesn’t require school boards hire chaplains, but it requires them to take a record vote.
Now, every Texas school board must vote on whether to create a public school chaplain program between September 2023 and March 1, 2024.
SB 763 provides no training requirement for chaplains, no certification, and no accountability. Hiring chaplains would take away precious funding needed for mental health professionals and critical school safety measures.
SB 763 is an affront to the religious freedom of students and parents—government-sanctioned chaplains make sense in some settings, but not in our public schools.
Make sure your school board members know Texans of faith and conscience don’t want chaplains in our public schools. Add your name to the petition now!
Are you an organizationally endorsed chaplain trained, practicing, or honorably retired in Texas? If so, please consider signing our letter to school boards explaining why professional chaplains oppose placing chaplains in Texas public schools!
Looking for More Information? Check out our explainers:
Understanding the Chaplain Issue
Understanding_the_Work_of_School_Counselors
Watch: Rep. James Talarico raises concerns about school chaplain legislation
Watch: Josh explains the chaplain issue on our Weekly Witness podcast