WHEELING – The West Virginia Board of Education will mount a legal fight to maintain its decision-making authority, but it is holding off on matters regarding required vaccinations for school children.

State board members met Wednesday in Charleston, where State Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt read a short statement announcing the board will pursue litigation contesting the constitutionality of House Bill 2755.

The legislation, approved earlier this year during the regular session of the State Legislature, requires the West Virginia Board of Education to submit any rules or policies it establishes to the Legislature for review. There was no further discussion on the matter.

Also, no action was taken on matters pertaining to compulsory school vaccination requirements when state board members met Wednesday in Charleston.

Blatt sent out a memorandum to county school districts earlier this month informing them no bill to permit religious exemptions to school vaccinations has been approved by the Legislature and that there was no change in vaccination law.

This was counter to an executive order issued by Gov. Patrick Morrisey permitting religious and philosophical exemptions to vaccinations. Blatt’s memo was later rescinded.

“The board supports the state superintendent’s attempts … and will continue to work with the governor’s legislative liaison to find resolution to this issue,” Blatt read. “We will consider the vaccination issue at our next meeting in June.”

Morrisey released a statement last week noting his executive order “still stands, and I have no intention of rescinding it.”

“I am calling on the State Superintendent of Schools and the county boards of education in this state to work with the Bureau for Public Health to ensure that religious rights of students are protected,” Morrisey stated. “Students will not be denied access to public education because of their religious objections to compulsory vaccination.”