Wareham High School Principal Patrick Clark will take a job in his hometown next school year after spending four years in Wareham Public Schools.

Clark will become principal of Barnstable High School, taking over for Patricia Graves, who is retiring at the end of the current school year. He was one of three finalists for the position.

Clark hadn't intended on leaving Wareham, and the decision to do so wasn't an easy one, he said. But Clark, a Barnstable resident and 1990 Barnstable High graduate whose family has long been involved in public service in the town, said "there was a draw towards home" when he saw that the position in Barnstable Public Schools was open.

Clark said he will always remember the generosity in Wareham, noting that the school was able to give nearly $300,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors last year as a result of donations from the community.

"There is a tremendous sense of pride, and I think there is a fantastic work ethic in Wareham," Clark said. "I think those will be the things that stay with me for the long haul."