An examination of selected variables that might have an influence on school climate was the purpose of this study. Variables included in this study were "winning" and "losing" athletic seasons, student drop-out rates, percentage of students involved in athletics and the overall climate of a school system as measured by the teacher's perceptions of esprit;Halpin and Croft's Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire and a investigator-designed instrument were used to measure esprit in eighteen Minnesota schools;Data collected included measures on teachers' esprit, coaches' perceptions of the athletic program and selected demographic variables;Tests of significance of the t-test and Step-Wise Multiple Regression analysis were used for statistical analyses of the data;Coaches as a group scored higher on the subtest, esprit of the OCDQ than did other teachers. Also, coaches in successful schools rated community support and school board and school policy support for attendance at coaching clinics more strongly than did coaches in unsucessful schools;School climate as measured by teachers' perceptions of esprit was statistically significant only for the teachers' esprit. However, scores were higher in the athletically unsuccessful schools when compared to the athletically successful schools;The demographic variables of student drop-out rates and percentage of students involved in the athletic program were not significantly different between successful and unsuccessful schools;Finally, the Step-Wise Multiple Regression analysis proved inconclusive for making any predictable statement concerning the differences in the drop-out rates of students, percentages of students involved in athletics and the overall climate of a school between successful and unsuccessful schools.