Tomball - Magnolia Edition | February 2024

BY CASSANDRA JENKINS & EMILY LINCKE

Magnolia ISD passes chaplain policy

MISD approves 2024- 25 school calendar

According to Senate Bill 763, a school chaplain:

• Can be employed by a school district to provide support, services and programs for students as assigned by the board of trustees • Can offer mental health support and behavioral health services • Is not required to have the same certiication and training as traditional school counselors • Must meet other applicable state requirements

The Magnolia ISD board of trustees accepted a resolution to allow the district to employ or use volunteer chaplains as needed at its Feb. 12 meeting. The bottom line Senate Bill 763 was passed in 2023, requiring school boards to vote before March 1 on whether a district will adopt a policy allowing the chaplains to volunteer or be hired by the district. “This originally started with the idea that there are some school districts that may not be able to nd enough certied counselors to meet the needs of kids in the areas of mental health, trauma response and counseling services,” Deputy Superintendent Jason Bullock said. “We don’t have that problem in Magnolia ISD.” Bullock said all the counseling positions across MISD are currently lled by certied counselors.

The Magnolia ISD board of trustees approved the 2024-25 school calendar at its

Feb. 12 board meeting. What you need to know

The calendar includes 172 days of instruc- tion, 13 professional development days and 187 teacher days. Important dates include: • Aug. 8: First day of school • Sept. 2: Holiday • Oct. 7-11: Fall break • Nov. 25-29: Thanksgiving break • Dec. 23-Jan. 3, 2025: Christmas break • Jan. 20, 2025: Holiday • March 10-14, 2025: Spring break • April 18, 2025: Holiday • May 23, 2025: Last day of school

SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINECOMMUNITY IMPACT

"We aren't marching out and hiring chaplains at this point to do some services before we even dene what that is. That

would be something we would dene as a board and administration before we use them." TODD STEPHENS, MAGNOLIA ISD SUPERINTENDENT

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