The research is extensive. Students are removed from school using exclusionary discipline practices at alarming rates. The short-term and long-term implications for the students excluded are primarily negative. Often, a short-term solution of removing unwanted behaviors from a learning environment can result in long-term negative impacts on the children who have been removed. Principals are faced with many factors when making decisions about the use of exclusion, none more important than protecting the safety of the entire school community that they are charged to lead. While the responsibility of keeping schools safe cannot be argued, is that the justification for the high numbers of exclusion used in the state of Wisconsin? Despite what the research tells us, the decision to exclude impacts at all levels of education. This study will look at this challenge at the foundational level of elementary schools to understand why principals choose to exclude. Additionally, the research will explore how school safety might play a part in the decision-making process. This qualitative study will learn from interviews of elementary principals and will look through the lens of consequence analysis decision theory. In the end, you will see that there is no easy way to address the challenges that principals face, but there are some themes that emerge that when applied will allow principals to better meet the needs of the children and communities that they serve. [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.]