At the time of this writing in the summer of 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic has already taken nearly 6.5 million lives, over one million of whom were from the United States––more than any other country in the world.[1] American public schools have become a primary focus for political and legal questions about the government’s role in curbing infection and death rates by vaccinating employees and students. As demonstrated in this article, school administrators can play a unique role in promoting public health by educating communities about the legal parameters of health mandates and exemptions. To effectively equip school leaders in navigating these complexities, we formed a research team consisting of an education leadership professor and former elementary school principal, a lawyer with expertise in education law, a religious liberty educator and pastor, and a family medicine physician. Together, we explore the history of litigation surrounding required vaccination and provide a legal analysis of legislation in states that currently permit exemptions. Together, we ask: What is the current landscape of COVID-19 vaccine mandates in each state, and what impact does this have on public K-12 schools? To what extent do these requirements include exemptions from generally applicable laws? and What leadership principles can school administrators apply when guiding diverse stakeholders to educate students safely?