As Catholic school enrollment declined, Catholic school leaders implemented new governing models, including Consolidated Catholic School Systems and the principal-president model, to keep Catholic schools financially solvent. This study intended to contribute to the research on how these governing changes affect the principal’s ability to make decisions. Using Herbert Simon’s theory of administrative decision-making, this study researched the perceptions of Catholic school principals' decision-making when working in either a Consolidated Catholic School System or an independent Catholic school, as well as the perceptions of Catholic school principals' decision-making when working within a principal-president model. Results from the semi-structured interviews with seven Catholic school principals show that principals from the two different governing models see their respective governing models as beneficial to their decision-making. Independent Catholic school principals value the autonomy and lack of bureaucracy in making decisions. Consolidated Catholic School System principals see the consolidated system as supportive, and they appreciate that the consolidated system removes some of the responsibilities that distract from their immediate priorities. Those within a principal-president model reported that when the principal and president have a good working relationship and both are comfortable with collaboration, the model supports and reinforces the principal’s decision-making power. Implications of the study suggest that Catholic school leaders should be creative when supporting principals within different governing models, and highlight the impact of the school governing model when onboarding new Catholic school principals.
