Crisis Leadership and the Impact of Opioids on Schools and Students - Perspectives of School Leaders in Rural Appalachia

Oct 15, 2026

Many rural U.S. students experience trauma and adverse childhood experiences linked to the opioid crisis, creating urgent ethical demands for school leaders. This case study investigates lived experiences of 12 rural school leaders from five Appalachian Ohio districts, focusing on opioid-related issues and their crisis leadership practices. Analysis centers on principals’ “bricolage” approaches to “make do” amid ongoing uncertainty. Themes address surprise, deepening complexity, preparedness limits, and decisions intended to help, informing preparation, training, and policy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

The Opioid Crisis and Educational Trauma

Moral Imperative for School Leadership

Study Purpose and Scope

Crisis Leadership Framework

Defining Crisis in School Contexts

Rural Leadership and Context-Specific Challenges

Theoretical Considerations and Practice of “Making Do”

Placement, Preparation, and Practical Surrounds

Leadership Beyond Standard Administrative Models

Crisis Leadership and the Impact of Opioids on Schools and Students: Perspectives of School Leaders in Rural Appalachia Michael E. Hess Ohio University Charles L. Lowery Ohio University Many students in rural U.S. schools are experiencing trauma and adverse childhood experiences due to circumstances relating to the opioid crisis. A moral imperative presents itself to school principals and other educational leaders to make context-specific decisions that are responsive to the trauma experienced by the students in their schools. This case study investigated the lived experiences of 12 rural school leaders from five school districts in Appalachian Ohio. Specifically, we examined their experiences with opioid-related issues in their schools. This research recognizes the needs of school principals and assistant principals as they lead in a time of challenges and chaos due to opioid-related issues. As a focus of our analysis, which prioritizes a crisis leadership approach, we examined principals engaging in a practice of bricolage to “make do” in the midst of the ongoing crisis. This collective case study presents critical cases through in vivo themes that emerged from the data: 1) “No Longer Surprised,” 2) “Going Down the Rabbit Hole,” 3) “I Don’t Know What Could Prepare You,” and 4) “We Made Decisions We Thought Would Help.” The implications consider ways in which practitioners, preparation programs, and policy makers can reconsider professional preparation, ongoing trainings, and funding models to integrate opioid awareness and crisis response capacity. ICPEL Education Leadership Review, Vol. 21, No. 1– December, 2020 ISSN: 1532-0723 © 2020 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership Opioid abuse and overdoses have continued to increase in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019) . As a result, many school-age children are facing trauma and significant adverse experiences due to the impact of opioid misuse on the part of people close to them. A moral imperative presents itself to K12 public school principals and other educational leaders to respond ethically and meaningfully to the trauma experienced by the children in their schools. This study investigated rural Appalachian educational leaders—principals and assistant principals—concerning the way in which they perceive the impact of the opioid crisis on their schools, district communities, and leadership practices. Currently, the degree to which school principals engage decision-making and problemsolving frameworks to respond to this crisis is unclear and undefined. Data from this study present important considerations for policymakers, practitioners, and preparation programs serving rural communities. We attempt to understand the processes of meaning-making in which they engage when encountering the complexities that surround the opioid crisis in their communities. Analyzing the narratives of leaders who face firsthand the turbulence and chaos of the crisis allows us to understand how they mobilize available resources and what resources they are lacking. We examined rural principals and assistant principals as they engage in crisis leadership involving opioid-related issues in their schools. Within the context of this study, we define crisis as unexpected and atypical series of events that generate high levels of uncertainty and are perceived to threaten the order and routine of an organization, such as a school (Johnson, 2018; Griffin, 2014) . Situating this study within the rural Appalachian counties of Southeast Ohio (Appalachian Regional Commission, 2018), the leadership practices of the participants gather meaning from the context-specific issues (Starr & White, 2008) that impact their schools and students. The primary question of this study was: What do the stories and practices of rural school leaders tell us about their schools and school communities in the midst of the opioid crisis? Implicated in thi

FAQs

What problem does the case study address for rural schools and students?

The study addresses how the opioid crisis contributes to trauma and adverse childhood experiences among students, driven by circumstances involving people close to them.

How did the researchers examine school leaders’ responses to opioid-related issues?

They conducted a collective case study of 12 rural school leaders, analyzing their narratives and experiences with opioid-related challenges to understand meaning-making and resource mobilization.

What does “crisis leadership” mean in the context of the study?

The study defines crisis as unexpected, atypical events that produce high uncertainty and are perceived to threaten an organization’s order and routine, such as a school.

Oct 15, 2026

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