Osceola County school board votes against having chaplains on school grounds
By Tony Atkins
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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A failed vote means the plan to bring volunteer chaplains into Osceola County Public Schools won’t be moving forward for now.
The room was packed Tuesday night as the board voted against the proposal. For 90 minutes, the board listened…
“Our children are broken. hurting, and they need all the help they can get,” said one woman in favor of the measure.
Parents, and people of different religious groups weighed in, explaining the case for both sides of the controversial proposal.
“If you know 100 percent of these chaplains were Muslim would you be wanting them? everybody in this room knows you would not,” said a woman who spoke out against the proposal.
In April, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill, clearing the way for districts to bring volunteer chaplains to help struggling students.
The bill says chaplains are to be volunteers and assigned by the school board.
“I was at the governor’s signing. I think it would improve things and some of the challenges our kids are facing,” said Pastor Jim Book.
Pastor Book said should it be considered again, he’d hope board members reconsider.
“To assume people of faith will go up there and do a hatchet job is an insult to people of faith,” Book said.
Board member Jon Arguello, who put the proposal up for a vote Tuesday said despite the vote, he plans to bring it up again when the board meets again on Sept. 10.
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