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Louisiana PTA urges wider PTA presence to strengthen family engagement
Summary
Louisiana PTA president Beth Malo told the task force the PTA structure provides legal, financial and volunteer supports to increase parent engagement and offered grants and training to start local units.
Beth Malo, president of the Louisiana PTA, told the task force the PTA provides structure and training that can make family engagement more manageable for schools. "PTA, for in my opinion, is the answer to family engagement," Malo said, arguing local units help consolidate parent voice, provide volunteer frameworks and offer programs that reach families beyond fundraising.
Malo described tools and programs PTAs can deploy locally—volunteer committees, food assistance projects, literacy events and the Reflections arts program—and explained the affiliation and compliance role the state PTA plays (training, bylaws, tax and secretary of state filings). She said local units pay $4.50 per paid member (of which $1.25 goes to Louisiana PTA and $3.25 to national PTA) and that Louisiana PTA offers a $500 startup grant to new units.
Why it matters: Task force members and parents pointed to local PTAs as one practical way to reach families and to provide a trusted, school‑based contact for resources. Members discussed differences between PTAs and other parent groups (PTOs) and whether districts should encourage PTA formation.
Details: Malo said PTA membership and local volunteer cores can be a low-cost way to support events, provide food assistance and maintain volunteer pipelines. She offered to share Saint Tammany's short policy language that integrates PTA into district practice for consideration in the task force report.
Next steps: Louisiana PTA will share policy wording used in St. Tammany and information on startup grants and training to help the task force refine recommendations.
