Ardmore High School principal Tommy Hunter was named the new executive director of human resources and operations Tuesday night at a meeting of the Limestone County Schools Board of Education.

Hunter’s appointment comes after Zebbra Green stepped down from the post after 26 years with Limestone County Schools. Green announced her retirement June 11.

“She’s been a teacher, principal, curriculum director and interim superintendent,” Superintendent Tom Sisk previously told The News Courier. “She leaves some big shoes to fill.”

Hunter also has a history of experience in educational and administrative positions in education. He’s been a classroom teacher, a coach, an assistant principal and, for the last seven years, principal of Ardmore High School. He told The News Courier that the drive to help all the children and teachers in the system motivated him to apply for the human resources job.

“Human resources is one of the most important things we can do,” he said. “It’s people, not programs. You try to hire the best.”

One of Hunter’s first tasks, and arguably one of his most important, is to spearhead the hiring of a new executive director of curriculum. Rhonda Stringham, the former director, announced earlier this month she had accepted a superintendent’s position in Geneva City Schools. Hunter said his job now becomes one of paring down a “ton of qualified candidates” to find the best fit for Limestone County Schools.

Hunter will also have a major role in picking his replacement. With the new job, he’s leaving his office at Ardmore High effective immediately. Sisk said he will have a recommendation to the board for an interim principal hopefully by the next meeting on July 30.

After seven years, though, Hunter is not through with Ardmore. His children still attend the school, so his role has switched from administrator to involved parent.

“I really appreciate the way they’ve supported me these last seven years at Ardmore,” he said. “They’ll always have a special part of my heart.”

Other business

In other business, board members and school officials are in talks to reform the drug testing policy for high school athletes. Athletic Director Rusty Bates presented a proposal to change the number of students tested from six per school to 10 percent of athletes per school. That way, the numbers of athletes tested would be more representative of the size of the student body. Bates also proposed doing away with the initial testing and possibly replacing it with an additional random test, since statistics show no students tested positive initially. School officials believe that is because those who know the test is coming up give themselves enough time for drugs to work out of their system before going for the test.

Chairman Earl Glaze proposed a new policy altogether where all high school athletes would be tested, or 100 percent, and the students themselves should foot the bill in order to play. Glaze said the athletes need to know the board is not messing around with drugs.

“I don’t care if they’re the star quarterback, we’ve got to make some examples,” he said.

Board members then agreed to discuss the matter further with principals and coaches.

The board also unanimously agreed to renew its contract with the Community Action Partnership of North Alabama to continue Head Start programs. Sisk said the program has grown 235 percent, with 15 teachers and 231 children enrolled for the 2015-16 school year.