The nuts and bolts of the PTA Council

What is a PTA Council? Few PTA members know it exists or why it

exists. We, as parents, are all so actively involved in helping our

schools that we do not realize that there is whole network of people

in our city, county, state and country that help our schools carry

out their programs and goals for the benefit of their children. Every

school district has a PTA Council that serves as a channel of

communication between the state and county and its local schools.

Orange County is the seventh largest PTA District in the Country.

It serves 423 schools, 516,000 students and 160,000 PTA members. A

Laguna Beach Council Representative, usually the PTA president,

attends bimonthly meetings of the Orange County PTA, known as the

fourth district PTA of California. It is at these meetings that all

the work, plans and organization of all the PTAs happens. It is here

that the district assures that all PTAs are following state policies

and procedures, insurance guidelines, financial reporting and IRS

requirements. It also provides a forum for problem solving and

discussing current issues affecting all children.

The Laguna Beach PTA Council meets on a monthly basis. On the

council are representatives from all of the five Laguna Beach

schools; El Morro, Top of the World, Community Learning Center,

Thurston Middle School and Laguna Beach High School. The council also

has representatives from the LBUSD and the school board.