Board opts against hiring chaplains

The Trinity ISD Board of Trustees acknowledged the football team members who were named to all-district positions. Courtesy photos

By Tony Farkas
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TRINITY — The Trinity ISD Board of Trustees voted against hiring volunteer chaplains to provide support services and programs for students but will use any and all options in the case of emergencies.

Superintendent Dr. John Kaufman said that at the Dec. 18 meeting, the board decided not to hire, as the district has two social counseling paths available — Community in the Schools and staff member Rana Wingo.

However, Kaufman said that if there was a situation like a tragedy or an emergency on campus, the district would call ESC Region 6, which has a crisis team, and local chaplains will be invited to assist as well.

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“To be a counselor, you have to have 300 hours of training, whereas there are no requirements for chaplains,” he said. “We will still invite them, but only in emergencies.”

Kaufman said for the children’s sake, the district will use every resource available.

In a separate matter, the board approved a change in regulations regarding class ranking and academic achievement.

Kaufman said that in the past, a parent could request a student repeat a class to improve a student’s ranking. Now, if a student has passed all requirements of a class, while the class could be repeated, the first grade will be the one used for ranking and repeated classes will have no effect on GPA.