Osceola school board rejects putting religious chaplains in schools, at least for now

The Osceola County School Board decided Tuesday night not to implement Florida’s new, controversial school chaplain program, at least not immediately.

The Osceola board was the first in Central Florida, and among the first in the state, to consider the program, signed into law in the spring by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The voluntary program would allow students to be counseled by chaplains with permission from their parents.

But it put off a decision earlier this month in part because the Satanic Temple, a group committed to the separation of church and state and opposed to Florida’s law, said Satanic chaplains would try to take part to highlight the dangers of allowing religious representatives in public schools.

Tuesday, the board heard about an hour of public comment — with many of the speakers opposed to chaplains on campus — before taking up board member Jon Arguello’s motion that the school district enact the chaplain program.




https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/28/osceola-school-board-rejects-putting-religious-chaplains-in-schools-at-least-for-now/