This paper presents an analysis of existing theories and models of crisis management in educational institutions in the world and the Republic of Croatia. The results of the empirical research are also presented. Qualitative research through a semi-structured interview examined the attitudes of stakeholders of educational institutions about the existence of crisis management and crisis communication in educational institutions in the Republic of Croatia in order to get answers to the questions posed by research. The aim of the research was to determine the main causes and consequences of crisis situations, then to determine the characteristics as well as the possibilities and limitations of the application of crisis management and crisis communication in educational institutions in the Republic of Croatia. The results of the conducted research indicate that the system of education at the national, and therefore at the local level, is inefficient in the field of crisis management, although there are certain protocols and regulations by which such situations are treated. The results have shown that educational institutions are greeted with crisis situations unprepared and that the success and effectiveness of crisis management largely depends on the leadership of the institution, i.e., principals. Furthermore, the research has established that in order to successfully resolve the crisis, it is necessary to have a qualified person and formed teams for crisis situations within institutions that would regularly conduct trainings of other stakeholders for crisis resolution and crisis communication. Based on everything, the possibilities of applying crisis management and crisis communication have been determined, but at the same time certain limitations have been established. The scientific contribution of the research is to encourage principals, and all other stakeholders, to better understand the topic, but also to encourage scientists and experts to increase the number of research in the field of crisis management in educational institutions in the Republic of Croatia.