They're the backbone of so many schools. Parent Teacher Associations, like the one at Porter Elementary in Mesquite, raise money, and volunteer time to better help kids grow.
"Miss Goodner, sweetheart of the school. She said books, books for the vending machine. Our dear counselor Miss Ontiveros, she said uniforms for kids that are less fortunate to help the students right here in our community," said PTA President of Porter Elementary, Ava Moss, of the work she and other parents pulled off.
PTA members at Mesquite ISD schools found out at the end of the school year, that some of their principals didn't want a PTA on campus.
"We have been in the dark about really what's going on," Moss said.
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Mesquite ISD says they've given principals at each individual school the right to choose to keep a PTA or switch to something new called PTO. It stands for Parent-Teacher Organization. It has less rules, less fees, less meetings but less power.
"I think there's a control issue that's happening. And they're wanting to take away the voice of the parents and the teachers so that they have better control of what how money is spent," said Florence Elementary PTA President, Sarah Joanis.
PTA's raise a lot of money, and if the principal wants that cash to go to buy computers for example, the PTA can vote to buy books for the library instead.
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Parents say this new PTO gives all the decision-making to the principal.
"It doesn't matter to me whether you're a part of a PTA or PTO, what matters to me and I know everyone in this district is that you're actively engaged in the education of your child," said Mesquite ISD Superintendent Angel Rivera.
He sat down to tell us, that engagement was the goal. He felt the changes would make it easier for parents and teachers to participate. He brought up an elimination of annual PTA fees. Fees the members say are less than $10 a year, and are waived for those who can't pay.
Rivera also insisted the district wasn't forcing a change.
"I don't care if you have a PTA, or PTO, or both," said Rivera.
But off camera, Assistant Superintendent Leslie Feinglas, spoke up, saying "A principal will decide what they want in their school."
Feinglas essentially saying the school did care.
"We're not allowing you to have a PTA and a PTO. So the school is going to operate a PTO," said Feinglas.
There were clear contradictions between the two leaders.
The parents were even told they had one week to spend any money saved in their bank accounts because next year their organization would disband.
It was confusing, Rivera admitted that.
"So the message was a little cloudy on that," he said.
So why roll this out with so much confusion?
Mesquite ISD pointed out several schools with PTA's have bad books. Some of them not holding meetings, having missing money, and frozen bank accounts.
While the parents we met are super well organized, that's not the case at most of the district schools, and it was falling on principals to sort through the financial mess.
"I don't want my principals doing that, I want my principals focusing on educating children, setting the best example in the school, the best culture they can and focusing on learning," said Rivera.
Parents agree but still say, there were other options, that didn't involve taking parents who are active and involved and showing them the door.
"Those schools that are struggling, why not allow schools that are doing well to partner with them?" said one mom.
"Why not get our feedback to help come up with a solution that's equitable for all? I 100% agree with that." said another.
In fact, these parents inherited poor-performing PTA's and fixed them. Some of them got awards for their work, named volunteers of the year. Now, they're asked to step away from PTA. The parents say principals are having meetings for and are forming the new PTO without them.
Based on how things ended for PTA, some of them don't have faith in the start of the PTO.
"If you dismantle PTA and it doesn't work, your plan that you have in place, then you have to redo this. it's like recreating the wheel all over again," said Cynthia Avery.
At least four schools in Mesquite ISD have refused to disband their PTA planning to still raise money, talk to teachers, and give donations directly to them. They're essentially working around the school leaders instead of alongside them.
