Tahlequah Public Schools began advertising Tuesday afternoon for a new athletics director to replace Randy Underwood.

The school board transferred Underwood, who had held the position about six years, to become coordinator of student drug-testing.

For more than a year now, district patrons – especially parents of athletes – have been reporting to the Daily Press that school board members have been dissatisfied with the TPS sports program, and intended to revamp it “from the top down.”

At least two coaches have also indicated they believed their jobs were in jeopardy due to less-than-stellar team records, and added that the football program was a particular target of discontentment.

However, school officials did not cite problems with the athletics program as the reason for Underwood’s reassignment; instead, they said he expressed interest in taking the new position.

Superintendent Shannon Goodsell said he hopes to have a new athletics director in place by mid-August, possibly by the beginning of classes. He does not anticipate any disruption in the athletics program because of the switch.

Underwood’s position will be funded by a new anti-drug grant the school has received. Assistant Superintendent Billie Jordan said the $1.2 million grant, from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Indian Education, will provide the district with $300,000 annually for the next four years.

It will provide random drug-testing for all students in activities, not just athletes. Under his title of athletics director, Underwood has overseen drug-testing of athletes in the past. “We changed our board policy last March in connection with applying for this grant,” Jordan said.

Underwood will supervise selection of a company to perform the drug testing. Students will be tested weekly, with five or six students being tested a day. Jordan said the students will be called from class by runners, just as they may be called for other purposes, and the testing will be confidential and not obvious to other students.

“The company randomly selects them [students to be tested] and sends us the names to test that week,” Jordan said.

Procedures will be in place to ensure the students’ privacy.

Students who test positive for a drug will be barred from taking part in the activity after school hours for the two weeks, although they still may attend classes connected with the activity. For example, a band student could still participate in class during the two weeks, but not in the marching drills.

Students’ parents will be notified and a counselor, yet to be hired, will work with the students involved.

“We had a half-time therapeutic counselor last year through another grant,” Jordan said.

Underwood will be responsible for conducting the testing and contacting parents of students with positive results.