Commissioner Cleave Hay said the appointment of Mr Hannagan, who was the principal at Hampden School, to the new principal role at Totara was a crucial step in rebuilding the school that had been under a Ministry of Education-led statutory intervention for 18 months.
Mr Hay said "this is a very important step in the school’s recovery, a real positive for the school".
The school has been under statutory management since March 2024 following staff departures, a board resignation and parent withdrawals.
Mr Hannagan said it gave him "immense pleasure" to be joining Totara School at the start of 2026 as the principal.
"I am really excited to get to know the Totara School community. The kids especially are paramount, and the staff, and easing into getting to know the community," he said.
"I’m looking forward to hearing what makes the community hum, what makes them tick, and any of their hopes and dreams for the future," he said.
Mr Hannagan said the initial focus would be on developing positive relationships and "creating a fun, thriving and inclusive environment".
He said he "felt for the school children and community" who had been at the school throughout the statutory intervention, staff changes and many "good teachers leaving".
"You only have one childhood, and, in my opinion, it’s been a challenging couple of years for those kids and the school community," he said.
"I’m always, people place first, and paperwork and policy second," he said.
Previous principal Sandra Spekreijse, who was appointed in 2021, resigned in June this year.
The rural school was funded for 72 pupils last year. The roll is now sitting at 20, after plummeting as low as 17 earlier this year.
Mr Hannagan, who was the principal at Hampden School for six years, said he looked forward to bringing his expertise to build on what relief principal Judy Elvidge and dedicated teacher Scott Rawson had already achieved in rebuilding the school.
He believed he "could make a difference where they need a difference".
Mr Hannagan lives in Weston with his partner, who is also a teacher, and their two children. The new role will allow him to be closer to home and enable him to spend more time with his own family.
