This is a quantitative phenomenological study of the perceptions of principals of public secondary schools in rural Appalachian Ohio. The purpose of the study is to understand the experiences of the principals as online charter schools become feasible for students in their school district. A random sample of ten principals was obtained from the population. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with each principal. Data was then coded from the interviews to identify the concerns, opinions, and responses of the principals to the phenomenon of competition from online public schools. The principals consistently reported very few students have transferred to the online schools and half or more of those who transfer, return to the district school within a year. Students are attracted to the online schools when medical, emotional, behavioral, or social constraints make it difficult for the student to be successful in a traditional classroom. The principals do not believe the online charter experience is beneficial to students because they return to the district school without having made progress in the online charter. The principals are also concerned about the lack of socialization provided by online charters. The primary response to online charters is an attempt to accommodate student needs within the native school by providing online course delivery in-house. [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.]