A new principal frequently has a great impact on the school climate. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the degree of change in school climate in three schools with new principals. The Effective Schools Climate Inventory (O'Neal 1990) was administered to staff members in one elementary, one middle, and one high school at the beginning of the school year and again in January. Results of the first ESCI were given to the principals at the beginning of the fall semester. Interviews were conducted with the principals in January. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference between the two survey results. In other words, there was no clear indication that new principals had a positive impact on school climate. Despite a few exceptions, principals' overall perceptions of their schools' climates were inconsistent with those reported by their school staff. The principals identified only 5 of the 17 school-climate issues identified by staff as significant. The paper recommends that schools regularly conduct quantifiable measures of school climate and address the low level of parent involvement in the three schools. Four tables are included. (Contains 18 references.) (LMI)