Central High principal to retire in April
Posted on 03/28/2019
Finley King beside the Purple Pounder at Central HighFinley King, long-time principal at Central High School, has announced his retirement in April. King has been principal of Central High since 2008 and was also an assistant principal at the school where he graduated high school.

“I am blessed to have been here at CHS for such a long time as principal of my alma mater,” said King. “I am now blessed to have been given a new career opportunity.”

King will start a new career with Delta Airlines after his retirement. He must leave before the end of the school year to meet Delta’s training schedule.

King has been in Chattanooga or Hamilton County Schools his entire career as he started at Chattanooga Middle School in 1991 and taught computer and math before moving to Central High School as an assistant principal in 2005.

Dr. Lee McDade, also a long-time administrator in Hamilton County Schools, will return to Central High where he spent some time as an assistant principal during his career to complete the school year as interim principal.

Dr. McDade retired from Hamilton County Schools at the end of the school year in 2018 as an assistant superintendent. He started his career as a history teacher at Signal Mountain. McDade was an assistant principal at Brown Middle and Central High. He was the principal at Lookout Valley Middle/High from 2000 until he moved to central level administration in 2011.

Hamilton County Schools will begin the process to find a new principal for Central High School for the start of the 2019-2020 school year.