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Chaplain pitches volunteer school chaplaincy under SB 763 at Chapel Hill ISD meeting
Summary
A certified chaplain urged trustees to consider a volunteer school chaplaincy program enabled by SB 763 (06/18/2023), describing counseling, crisis care and community-building benefits and leaving informational materials for the board to review.
At the public-comment portion of the board meeting, Scotty Wallace, who identified himself as a certified chaplain with the National School Chaplaincy Association (East Texas), asked trustees to review a packet describing a volunteer chaplaincy program authorized by state law. Wallace said the chaplaincy statute (identified in his remarks as "SB 763," signed 06/18/2023) allows districts to permit volunteer chaplains on PK–12 campuses and outlined anticipated benefits, including emotional and mental-health support, crisis care, character education and staff support. He left an informational packet for the superintendent and trustees.
Wallace said the role is "not about promoting a particular religion" but rather about providing support across faiths and cultures. He asked the board to investigate and vet the program materials and offered to assist the district with exploring how a chaplaincy might function on campus. Trustees did not take action on the request during the meeting; administration accepted the packet for follow-up.
