This case represents a multitude of leadership dilemmas created by financial exigencies and the difficult decisions that must be made during times of economic austerity. Under the best of circumstances, deciding between programmatic elimination and/or employee termination is agonizing, onerous, and filled with political and social ramifications. When high-ranking state officials and local political activists undermine administrative efforts to mitigate a financial crisis, the political and social ramifications are magnified exponentially. The facts and circumstances outlined in this narrative are based on real-life events and describe how officials in a well-respected and successful Texas school district strategically addressed potentially divisive and politically charged decisions. The rich context associated with these events provides a platform on which best practices in educational leadership can be identified and examined, a platform on which individual core principles and values can be evaluated, and a platform on which students and practicing educational leaders can build leadership capacity. (Contains 1 note.)