This qualitative case study examines the perceptions of rural school leaders regarding their decision-making and utility of school improvement plans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were used to document the perceptions of four school principals and two district administrators in Celebration School District (a pseudonym), a rural school district in Florida, during the COVID-recovery period. School improvement plans and school board minutes were also collected. Interview transcripts and school documents were coded, codes were grouped into categories, and categories were sorted into themes that described how school leaders perceive changes in decision-making and the usage of school improvement plans since the COVID-related school closures. From this study, it can be concluded that school leaders in Celebration School District perceive the school improvement process as an institutionalized element of their schools. School improvement plans were used to establish a common focus on collaboration, engage with stakeholders, develop teacher support services, and provide thought-provoking perspectives on data that might not have otherwise been considered. Shifts in decision-making for school leaders in Celebration School District focus on student success through policies on attendance, the use of incentives, and the facilitation of mental health services and intensive instructional practices to promote student learning, investment in staff through hiring and staffing decisions and staff development, and the facilitation of quality school improvement plans that prioritize student needs, utilize more meaningful goals, and support the implementation of school improvement strategies. However, many topics of concern that were voiced by the participants, including student attendance, behavior, and mental health, were absent from the school improvement documentation. Considering these areas of need were addressed in the literature as part of the best practices recommended for school reopening after the initial COVID-related school closures and the clear attention and support these areas are receiving based on the information provided by participants, the absence of these topics in the school improvement documentation is concerning. Study findings suggest Florida's online school improvement template may be too rigidly fixated on academic goals and state test scores to provide school leaders the flexibility to focus on other student outcomes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]