Chickasha board approves MOU with USAO to bring paid work‑study students into school operations

Chickasha Public Schools’ board voted to approve a memorandum of understanding with the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) to expand federal work‑study participation beyond the university’s teacher‑education placements. District staff said the MOU allows USAO students who qualify for federal work‑study to serve in non‑instructional roles such as playground supervision, tutoring and other principal‑assigned duties; the students would be paid by the university and the district would sign off on hours worked. District staff emphasized the arrangement is separate from traditional field experience and student‑teaching agreements. In response to board questions about safety and compliance, staff pointed out the MOU requires USAO to facilitate and cover the cost of background checks. Principals will determine site interest and candidate roles, and the district expects to collect feedback during the year — likely after the first semester — to evaluate the pilot’s outcomes. Board members asked about program timing and the semester schedules for USAO students; staff said the interns would work during the students’ academic semester and be placed according to principals’ needs and the university’s schedule. The number of students placed at any site will be limited by the site leaders’ capacity to supervise them. The motion to approve the MOU passed on roll call; recorded votes on the motion were affirmative.