One of the most persistent dilemmas faced by practicing educational administrators is choosing an appropriate model for decision making. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the appropriateness of Cohen, March, and Olsen's (1972) Garbage Can Model of decision making. The case study examined the decision-making behavior of the Council of Wesley College, Perth, the governing body of an Australian private school. Data were collected through participant observation of Council meetings for 1 year, the content analysis of the meetings' minutes, and interviews with the members of the governing body. Findings indicate that the Garbage Can Model provided a suitable framework for observing and describing the council's decision-making behavior. The decision-making process was unclear and fluid, and resolution was the most frequently adopted decision style. However, about one-fourth of the decisions were made by flight or oversight. The adoption of flight or oversight decision styles reflected a desire for more information and discussion, after which resolution was achieved. The Council left few problems unresolved, but took a relatively long time to make decisions. Both the Council chairman and the principal influenced the decision-making process; however, other individual members with valued expertise also had an impact. Representatives of interest groups did not exert significant influence. (Contains 164 references.) (LMI)