The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a significant difference existed in the overall academic performance of athletes when compared to non-athletes at one rural high school in Wisconsin. The study was important to the field of educational leadership because in the current environment of accountability, educational leaders need to be highly responsible in the area of student achievement. When allocating resources, administrators must make difficult fiscal choices between what the school organization needs, such as building maintenance and instructional materials, and what it wants, such as vibrant cocurricular programs that support academic achievement. Performance records reviewed in this study consisted of grade point averages, attendance rates, discipline referrals, dropout rates, and graduation rates. Records reviewed were from all students in grades 9 through 12 in one rural high school and a comparison was made between overall academic achievements of athletes to non-athletes. Results of the study showed a statistically significant difference for GPA between athletes and non-athletes, and a significant difference between male and female athletes when comparing discipline referrals. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]