Interviews with 34 teachers at a rural high school in northeastern Connecticut examined cognitive constraints affecting teacher involvement in participative decision making. The principal recently restructured the school in an attempt to ensure teacher decision making. Data collection consisted of a standardized open-ended interview conducted at the school. Teachers perceived that the majority of their decisions were made under cognitive constraints and indicated a lack of adequate information and time. Teachers attributed time constraints to a lack of administrative support. Time constraints caused teachers to become uncertain in their decision making, and the quick changes in the structure of school governance caused confusion for teachers. A teacher coordinator of the new structure believed that the school governance change had occurred too quickly and that faculty felt they were forced to make decisions before they were ready. Other teachers reported operating under "pseudo decision-making," whereby the appearance of decision-making power is provided, but the decision is actually made by the administrator in charge. These results do not support previous research that characterized rural schools as the epitome of school-based decision making. (KS)