WV school board backs superintendent in vaccine policy debate, urges working with governor

The state school board is taking time to consider how it will move forward with Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s executive order to allow religious exemptions to vaccination requirements.

Nancy White, West Virginia Board of Education president, said Tuesday that the board wouldn’t take action at this time and would reconsider the issue at its next meeting in June. 

Morrisey issued an executive order mandating that public schools permit religious and philosophical exemptions to the state’s strict school immunization rules. 

He said his executive order must stand despite lawmakers’ declining to change the state’s school vaccine requirements. The House of Delegates voted 42-56 to kill a bill that would have implemented religious exemptions, and the state’s immunization rules remain intact.

“The board supports the state superintendents’ attempt to follow compulsory vaccination law and directs her to continue to work with the governor and with our legislative liaison to find resolution to this issue,” White said.

Numerous speakers urged board members to support the current vaccination laws during a measles outbreak. No one spoke in favor of religious exemptions to those requirements. 

Earlier this month, State Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt issued then rescinded a memo directing public schools to follow the state’s schools vaccination requirements that only permit medical exemptions under law. 

Morrisey has no intention of rescinding his executive order. He argues that the state’s “Equal Protection for Religion Act,” which went into law in 2023, gives his executive order legal authority. 

The questions about authority over vaccine laws come as preschoolers and kindergarten students are registering for the upcoming school year. Some private schools said they won’t comply with Morrisey’s order. Ohio County Schools hired a lawyer to weigh in on whether the school district should follow the governor’s vaccination executive order or the state’s current immunization requirements.

While appearing on MetroNews Talkline on Thursday, Blatt said there needs to be a statewide policy for vaccinations because a county-by-county basis would be difficult given the high volume of students who transfer during the school year.

“It’s important to note that our board of education decided that they’re eager to work in collaboration with the governor and with the Legislature, and, you know, a lot of things into consideration, as far as timelines with where we are in the school year,” Blatt said.

“And so most of our schools are wrapping up in the next few weeks. And so they thought it was important to give our executive and legislative branch a time to possibly work out their differences.”