The Marked Tree School Board approved student transfers for four students last week at its monthly meeting. Two transferred into the Marked Tree School system while two others transferred from Marked Tree to the EPC system. Four letters were presented to the board from the transferring students

parents requesting the transfers.

Superintendent Gary Masters reported to the board on state Benchmark Scores in which the system

s students posted the highest geometry scores in the state.

The board approved the first reading of policy changes recommended by the Arkansas School Board Association for the district for 2008-09. Following this, the board went into executive session to discuss school personnel changes.

Once back in regular session, Masters announced that the district would hire Kathy Johnson on a 30 day contract to complete landscaping around the school.

Masters also announced staff assignments for the coming school year.

Teachers are assigned as follows: Pre-k, Hicks; kindergarten, Jennings, McCrary and Tilley; first grade, M. Henslee and E. Gillis; second grade, Ballard, Moore and Wynne; third grade, Hotchkiss, Kidd and Wilson; fourth grade, Barnes, McLaughlin and Thompson; fifth grade, Box and C. Henslee; sixth grade, Ross and Smith; art, T. Gillis; music, V. Stoddard; physical education, Dunn and Drace; guidance office, Dailey and Gallion; gifted and talented, Pearson; secondary English, S. Jones, Lee and Pharis; secondary math, Hall, Huffmaster and Rodgers; secondary social studies, Kelley, Lovins and Webb; secondary science, Boling, Jones and Wright; vocational agriculture, C. Stoddard; business, P. Lovins; JROTC, C.H. Overbay and Wilkerson; and band, Walker.

Board members and Masters were scheduled to tour the East Project Lab at Harrisburg High School last week. The board is interested in pursuing a lab for Marked Tree High School. The lab teaches geo-technology using computer aided design or CAD.