FISD has the second-highest participation rate for PTAs in Texas at 24,796 members in 2023, said Cyndi Arakas, president of the FISD Council of PTAs, a support network for FISD’s 74 campuses and 73 PTA groups.
“The goal is having a voice for every child,” Arakas said.
The overview
A PTA is a volunteer group of parents and teachers that strive to fill any gaps in school funding from either the state or the district, Arakas said.
For example, a common project for elementary school PTAs is to raise money through events like fun runs and carnivals to fund projects like an outdoor playground cover or more library books.
PTA support goes beyond fundraising, Arakas said.
“A number one priority for us, aside from supporting at that local level, is advocating for all kids and making sure every child's potential is a reality and we do that [by] advocating at the local level, making sure that every kid is treated the same no matter what their background is, what their family is, how old they are,” Arakas said. “We make sure that everyone is treated equally throughout the district.”
FISD PTAs give out scholarships to high school seniors and, in legislative years, the FISD Council of PTAs will go to the capitol steps in Austin and rally for legislative procedures that support public schools, Arakas said.
“Whatever is purchased by a PTA is hitting the whole school, the whole community, versus a grade or a class,” Arakas said.
What it means
The high number of PTA members in FISD adds weight behind their requests to legislators, Arakas said. The 2024-25 school year is also a legislative year, meaning the Frisco Council of PTAs will be traveling to the capitol steps in February, Arakas said.
“When we’re coming down and knowing we have almost 25,000 members, that’s what the important part of the membership is,” she said.
