Majority of Americans support religious chaplains in public schools: Poll

The majority of respondents to an Associated Press poll released Thursday believe religious chaplains should be allowed to provide supportive roles in public schools, yet are also wary of religious schools becoming federally funded.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that 58% of respondents support the idea of religious chaplains supporting students in public schools, while 41% said they should not be allowed.

The same poll found that most disagreed with teachers leading a class in prayer (55%) and designating a mandatory religious hour that would be devoted to prayer or religious reading (60%). 

The results serve as a reflection on how Americans view the separation of church and state, which comes after states like Louisiana and Texas work to pass laws that require public schools to display the Ten Commandments. 

The survey polled 1,158 adults nationwide from June 5 through June 9, with a margin of error of plus and minus four percentage points.  

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.