Pacific Elementary School

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Pacific PTA » What is the PTA?

What is the PTA?

The PTA, or the Parent Teacher Association is a network of of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. At Pacific the PTA plans, operates and funds much of the school's programs.  For instance, the PTA sponsors and organizes clubs, such as Run Club, plans fundraisers and community events, such as Movie Night and the Parent Party, and it funds programs such as Young at Art and assemblies.  In every endeavor PTA volunteers work together to enrich the lives of our students.
 

The PTA has an Executive Board which oversees the various committees, maintains the budget and plans the PTA general meetings.  If you wish to see the current Pacific PTA Executive Board roster please click here.  If you wish to join the PTA please click here.

The PTA is an association of parents and teacher volunteers.  MBEF is an independent foundation.  MBEF and PTAs are vital partners in supporting the success of MBUSD. MBEF and PTAs collaborate closely to provide a quality K-12 education for all children in our District. MBEF uses its resources primarily to pay for teachers, and the PTAs pay for material resources at each school. While we can thank MBEF for our librarians, PTA pays for library books.  Similarly, MBEF pays for science specialists to teach hands-on science, while the PTAs pay for supplies for the science lab.

PTA Presidents from each school sit on the MBEF Board to provide input on MBEF decision-making. Additionally, each school’s PTA has its own board that raises and spends funds to pay for campus-specific items, such as technology, school supplies, and classroom materials. 

Lastly, each PTA is accountable to its own school, while MBEF provides a K-12 perspective and ensures that every elementary school in our District offers the same programs and quality of education at each grade level. 

While the PTA and MBEF work together to provide quality education to our students, they function in very different ways.  The PTA provides materials, programs, and funds for its own school site.  That is why there will be variations across the District as each Executive Board determines the needs of its specific campus.  Pacific PTA spends $415 per child per year for technology enhancements, curriculum enrichment, assemblies, student organizations, field trips, Young at Art and much more. 

MBEF provides funding across the District to ensure that each site is receiving a quality education.  PTA cannot pay for additional teachers or staff, though they can provide material support for that teacher or staff member.  MBEF can and does provide funding for additional teachers and staff such a librarians and science specialists.  Because MBEF has a long history of providing a consistent funding stream to our District, it is the only parent organization that LA County permits to supplement pay for teachers.  Our campuses and our children's education would look very different if we did not have families supporting BOTH organizations.