WHEELING — Ohio County Circuit Judge Michael Olejasz ruled against granting an injunction that would have stopped the Ohio County Board of Education from entering a closed-door session this evening. Jenny Craig, head of the Ohio County Education Association, had filed this morning for the injunction.

Craig, president of the Ohio County Education Association and a teacher at Wheeling Middle School, and her attorney, Teresa Toriseva, asked the court for a restraining order “to prevent the significant and irreparable harm to the employees and teachers of Ohio County” that she says could result from the meeting.

Craig’s formal complaint cited an executive session, closed to the public, held by the board during a meeting on Feb. 19. She contended that closed-door meeting was illegal and states in her complaint that “another illegal ‘executive session’ on prohibited matter is likely to occur” during the meeting today. The closed session on Feb. 19 was held to discuss the two-day strike by school personnel that week. Board members took no action, however, after hearing of House of Delegates action to table indefinitely a bill that was the subject of the strike.

During that meeting, dozens of people present chanted “vote them out” to board members. That prompted the board to release a lengthy statement explaining their stance on education reform in West Virginia and how they approached Senate Bill 451 that was to serve as a basis for discussion at today’s board meeting.

Members are scheduled to convene at 6 p.m. at the board office, located at 2203 National Road, Wheeling.

Earlier this year, board members refused to sign a resolution opposing the education bill that was drafted by an outside group. The resolution was presented to them by unions representing the school district’s teachers and school service personnel who opposed many provisions of the bill, including the implementation of a charter school system in West Virginia.

Board members said the legislation did contain many positive aspects — such as a 5 percent raise for teachers — and they wanted more time to see how the measure played out in the Legislature before taking a stance.

School employees have expressed anger at the board’s hesitation to renounce the legislation.

On the board’s agenda for tonight is a discussion of “post Senate Bill 451 (Omnibus Education Bill) Determination and Ohio County Schools Board of Education Statement/Resolution.” The bill died in the House last week.

Here’s is the board’s full statement:

“The conversation around SB 451 moved quickly since the last Ohio County Schools Board of Education (“BOE”) meeting on February 11, and we as a board have not had the proper opportunity to share our collective perspective with the community. Now that SB 451 has been indefinitely postponed, we believe it is our responsibility to share our thoughts and what has guided us as a board over these past few weeks.

“First, there have been assertions that this board does not support teachers or service personnel. We feel it is imperative that our community know that such a statement could not be farther from the truth and does not come from a true examination of the facts. We, to a person, are incredibly grateful for and proud of the work our educators, service personnel, and administrators do, and know our county provides some of the best education in the state. It is important to make this very clear, so our community can come together with a mutual confidence and optimism to support our students, teachers, service personnel, and schools.

“The BOE was asked and pressured to collectively adopt a resolution related to SB 451 early in the process, before both houses of our

Legislature had the opportunity to amend the bill. This general resolution was drafted and promulgated by an outside third party and contained some points and assertions with which we did not all agree. At our last public meeting, each member of the board expressed disagreement with the way the West Virginia Senate had approached the bill and disagreement with various provisions in the bill; however, no one member agreed that signing a resolution at that point in time was the prudent decision. We also did not agree that signing a third-party resolution was equal to showing support for our teachers.

“Last year we supported — and continue to support — a much-needed pay raise for our teachers. We invest in high quality professional development for our teachers so that they can bring the best to the classroom every day. We regularly celebrate and praise the outstanding work of our educators at board meetings, community events, and through our social media channels. We have made it a priority to visit every school in our county to see firsthand the great work our teachers are doing and to ask for specific ways we can help them be more successful for the benefit of our students. We have also invested in technology, enhanced our curricular spaces, and provided increased collaborative educational opportunities. These are just a few examples of the meaningful ways that we show support and appreciation for our teachers and school system on a regular and consistent basis. It is very important that the community understands this work, which will and must continue.

“Additionally, we have all acknowledged and agree that the way in which the original SB 451 was drafted (without input from all stakeholders) was flawed, and the bill contained provisions with which we did not agree. However, the bill, especially the version that came out of the House, also contained some very good things: a much-needed pay raise for teachers; $24 million in additional funds for student support services such as counselors and psychologists; a funding threshold for smaller counties in the state allowing them a minimum of state support; and the flexibility in compensation available for high-need teaching positions.

“While there were controversial aspects of the bill, we believed in seeing the legislative process play out, and compromise occur, in hopes that it would refine the bill to the point where it was acceptable to both sides and may have preserved some of these more beneficial components.

“We have so many great things taking place in Ohio County Schools, and we are excited to continue to work alongside our county staff members toward achieving our mutually accountable goals. Even when we disagree with each other philosophically or pragmatically, we must do so graciously.

“Finally, we are elected officials charged with the general control and supervision of Ohio County Schools and are responsible for their efficiency and proper conduct for the best interest of all community members and taxpayers of Ohio County, including our students and families. In our roles as board of education members, we are required to uphold our legal responsibilities, now and in the future.”