The veteran educator will succeed founding RCS Principal Sam Kennington, who announced earlier this year that he would return to retirement at the end of the current school year.

Kennington will remain involved, however, as a member of the RCS Board of Directors.

He said Friday, following the announcement that Finnigan would take over the helm, “I feel we’ve got the right person. Walter will continue the philosophy that has been set and the school will move forward under his direction.”

Shortly after inking his contract, Finnigan said he was honored to follow in Kennington’s “mighty big footsteps.”

He added that he was “very excited about next year, when we will open with over 420 students.”

Finnigan noted that the charter middle and high school, serving grades six through 12 next year, also “has a waiting list that is growing longer every day.”

Finnigan has been at RCS as assistant principal since April 2007. He said he had spent the past year, “shadowing Mr. Kennington and learning the atmosphere of the charter school.”

He has been in education since 1994, after graduating from Salem-Teikyo University in West Virginia. The former Salem College, he explained, was bought by the Japanese institution to be a part of the International School. Finnigan said he was drawn to the university because it allowed him to do part of his undergraduate work in Holland and Germany.

Since his graduation, he has taught elementary and middle grades in Person County Schools. He also worked at Person County Learning Academy, teaching sixth grade math and science to at-risk youth. He was named the PCLA teacher of the year in 2005. The year before that, Finnigan was Northern Middle School teacher of the year.

He has also taught in Durham County Schools and at Murdock Center, with at-risk elementary age children. While at Murdock, Finnigan also served as unit manager and ran a lending library for parents who needed resources. He said he traveled the state, teaching other schools and centers about the program.

When asked how he first became interested in teaching, Finnigan said his sixth grade math teacher served as the perfect role model when he was struggling in her class.

“She encouraged me, and pushed me all the way through high school, and even when I was in college,” he said, “she stayed in touch and made sure I was on track.

“The example she set,” Finnigan said of his teacher, “when she took the time to make sure I made it through, made me want to return the favor to someone else.”

He said he plans to continue the programs already in place at RCS, in academics, athletics and relationships with students, parents and staff.

The school will have sixth grade students next year for the first time, as well as graduating its first class of seniors.

Finnigan said he was excited about both, and that the teachers and students were excited as well.

Donald Long, chairman of the RCS Board of Directors, said, “We had phenomenal interest in the principalship. We had applications and inquiries from as far away as New York and we had numerous well-qualified, experienced educators competing for the principalship.”

Long continued, “Walter was the unanimous choice by the board. He is well-qualified for this position and he is adored by our faculty, parents and students.”

Long said the parents and students had spoken emphatically in support of Finnigan as the next principal and “the board is pleased to have Walter accept this opportunity to continue our growth at RCS.

He said that, following Friday’s announcement about Finnigan, “now, a fervent search begins for an assistant principal.”