A case study exploring the relationship between local leadership and the school-community partnership was conducted in a small, isolated Australian mining town. Data were generated from written materials such as the local newspaper and interviews with 8 school staff members and 11 community members involved with the schools or representing business, industry, and state and local government interests in the town. The major school-based interactions with the community were fundraising activities, sporting activities, cultural activities, and informal and formal community involvement in school operations and management. The study identified indicators of the effectiveness of school-community partnerships: a strong commitment to the partnership from school and community leaders; a high level of cohesiveness within the schools; wide-ranging and ongoing involvement by community members in all aspects of the school's organization and management; wide-ranging and ongoing involvement of students and school staff in community activities; and a strong sense of ownership of the school by the community. Findings indicate that leadership that enhances the school-community partnership actively engages in relationship building; facilitates two-way communication; strongly supports the involvement of varied community members in ongoing activities, as well as planning and decision making; and supports both a philosophy and practice of shared leadership. (Contains 49 references.) (TD)