<![CDATA[Purpose of the study: This study aims to describe the implementation of the principal’s strategic management in delivering e-learning, to identify the constraints encountered, and to evaluate the success of the program in improving educational quality at three public junior high schools in Bulik District, Lamandau Regency, Indonesia. Methodology: This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach at SMP Negeri 1, 2, and 4 Bulik. Informants were selected purposively and included principals, vice principals for curriculum, teachers, IT operators, and students. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model of data reduction, data display, and verification. Main Findings: The principals’ strategic management was implemented through four interrelated stages: strategic planning, strategy implementation, strategy control, and strategy evaluation. Implementation improved teachers’ digital competence, learning effectiveness, and educational quality. However, obstacles persisted regarding human resources, infrastructure, student readiness, and school management, which the principals addressed gradually through training, supervision, and phased procurement. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study offers a specific portrayal of the full strategic-management cycle by school principals for sustained e-learning in a semi-peripheral region, extending prior research that focused on general leadership, urban settings, or emergency remote learning during the pandemic.]]>
