It was 3 p.m. on a Friday, and 20 parents stayed after students left campus to place over 1,6000 Post-It notes on lockers. To many, this might seem like an excess, but to the Parent-Teacher-Student-Association members, this is simply one of many tasks done to make students feel welcome.

The National Parent-Teacher-Association was started in 1897 by a group of moms who wanted to create a grassroots network to improve schools at a time when women did not have the right to vote. Since then, it has become the largest child advocacy association in America. They have branches at the national, state, county and school level, so they can launch local events and advocate for students on a broader scale.

PTA is a volunteer organization, so the work goes unpaid, but parents are able to directly impact students and teachers at the school. Parent Yadi Soto works as a secretary at the Hagerty High School PTSA and as Vice President of Development for the Seminole County Council PTA.

“Our mission at the PTA level is to advocate for every student and build connections with the community and our schools so that every student can [know] that there are so many people out there that have the same passion and drive to advocate for our schools,” Soto said. “It’s super incredible, and it’s so important, and it’s one of the main reasons why [the] PTA has been around for over 127 years.”

Advocacy

At individual schools, the PTSA runs activities for students such as student fun days and scholarships. At the county, state and national levels, they advocate for federal policy and state legislation.

When $396 million in funding was withheld from schools in the summer of 2025 for instance, the Florida PTA, in collaboration with county-level PTAs, filed a federal lawsuit against the department of education. The funds being withheld would lead to many programs for students being reduced or cut in schools across Florida. Their action was successful, and the government released the funds back to the schools in time for the 2025 school year to start.

“We worked very closely with the Florida PTA, and we had several meetings where we were able to speak with the lawyers that were going to be basically fighting our case at the government level and at Tallahassee,” Soto said. “Students were able to share their stories on why these programs were so necessary for them in particular, because not every family is able to pay for those kinds of programs out of pocket.”

The Hagerty PTSA works with the administration and students to improve the school both through outreach programs and by hosting events students can look forward to.

“I think partnerships with parents make a more positive school culture,” principal Robert Frasca said. “Students who have involved parents are more likely to be successful. We’re blessed to have a strong PTSA here.”

They host monthly meetings where initiatives and projects are discussed with teachers, parents, students and administrators to gauge concerns and ideas.

“They get to share what their goals and priorities are, and try to make sure they’re aligned with what our goals are,” Frasca said. “I feel pretty fortunate. Over the years, we’ve always gotten along pretty well, and I think a lot of that’s just because I try my best to be open and honest with them.”

Activity

Students and staff are encouraged to bring up issues within the community so the PTA can create events and initiatives to help. This past school year, one of the biggest priorities has been to provide education and support with mental health.

“One of the things that I’ve asked over the years is for our PTA to support mental health needs,” Frasca said. “[There is] such a stigma in general with people… so we’ve done a lot of different events centered around mental health support. [I am] kind of behind the scenes, working with them on planning those and trying to make sure we have the right target audience.”

After the suicides of three students in one week, the PTSAs of the Hagerty, Lyman and Winter Springs worked together to host STAY; Tomorrow Needs You, an event with a panel of seven mental health organizations so parents and students could ask questions and find resources.

“No, we didn’t have all of the answers at the moment,” Soto said. “But we knew that we had to bring some sort of program or resources to our parents and our students so that they would be able to cope with what was happening and the grief that was going on.”

In April, there will be an initiative focusing on safety with social media funded by the “Create with Kindness” grant awarded from the broader PTA organization.

Not everything the group does is that serious, however. They also get Kona Ice to come serve students, run the school store and place sticky notes with encouraging words written on them onto lockers.

“[It] just brings me so much joy to be able to be a part of something like this,” Soto said. “I’ve had conversations with students where a simple smile opened up an opportunity to have a conversation. And who knows if that was the only conversation that that student had where they felt safe with an adult. Just giving back and serving is the most rewarding part. I live for it.”

Another way that PTA helps the school is by reaching out to local businesses for support. Parent Monica Hagan was tasked to network with local sponsors to get 14 inspirational quote signs in the entry to the school so students can see them as they walk in.

“I hadn’t done it before, [so] I was really nervous,” Hagan said. “Like, ‘I can ask these businesses. I have a relationship with them already, but will they really support me?’ And then what do you say to them? You kind of have to have an elevator pitch.”

The PTSA works to help out the staff as well. They put coffee pods in the staff mail room and host a luncheon at the end of the year for staff, as well as a breakfast at the start of the year.

Putting together the events takes time, between securing sponsors, delegating tasks and managing input.

Parent Tara Khamis has worked in numerous executive board roles in the PTSA years and currently works as chair for their scholarship committee.

“I’ve been president, I’ve been treasurer, I’ve done [a lot],” Khamis said. “I don’t think people realize how much those roles actually do. … I’m going to be very honest and transparent. It’s like having a full time job, and I don’t think people truly appreciate what those roles go through.”

Student involvement

All schools have a PTA, but high schools have a PTSA, which includes a component of student involvement. The students are a committee and work with other county schools to find issues to solve, welcome new students and talk with parents about student needs.

“It makes me happy that I know that I’m making a difference and that I’m advocating for students like myself, for my friends, for my brother who also goes to school, and for future students,” sophomore Lolita Soto-Berrios said.

“Because we’re doing a lot of these initiatives and things for students, we really want our students to be involved, to have an idea and a voice of what is impactful for them,” Hagerty PTSA President Margot Schmitt said.

They speak with parents on the needs of students, volunteer at PTSA events like the STAY event and help PTAs of middle and elementary schools.

“It’s fulfilling, and it really helps with leadership,” Soto-Berrios said. “I used to be so introverted, but doing this has led me to realize that I have a voice and speak up, and even if I’m uncomfortable, it’s easier for me to get comfortable with the group.”

Seniors who are PTSA members have the opportunity to apply for scholarships by submitting a 500-word essay. Judges rate the essay on predetermined criteria and are open to any members eligible to walk at graduation, so students are rewarded for taking a part in the organization rather than academic merit.

“My favorite part is really being able to reward students with the scholarships,” Khamis said. “I think this was probably the most rewarding role I ever took in the PTSA. I just love the aspect of being able to give back to everyone, whether it’s the staff or the students.”

Budgeting

Funding is always a huge concern, and some years, like last year, the money is a lot harder to come by, which affects both the amount of scholarships they can give out and the how much money each scholarship is worth.

“Last year, when I did scholarships, I had a much higher budget, and this year’s like half of the budget of what I had last year,” Khamis said. “It’s sad because I feel that less children are now going to have that opportunity to obtain a scholarship right within previous years.”

A large initiative this year was reimagining the school store after it was shut down by the county three years ago due to the claim that some of the snacks sold were deemed a violation of law by safety. After working with the district team to ensure the snacks sold fell under legal guidelines, the store has once again become a lucrative way for the PTSA to raise money. Despite this, they have still faced many challenges with fundraising.

“What I found in high school [is that] since you all have all these clubs and organizations, and you’re all your own entities, it becomes a little more challenging for PTSA to raise money, because you guys are also raising money,” Hagan said.

“We do what we can to give you as much as possible with what we have,” Hagan said. “So that means you have to be creative, and you have to be resourceful. And that collaboration part really helps sort of nurture that. I really enjoy when you see what you envision come together.”

Despite the work it takes, many parents who join the PTA stay on for many years to help their community.

“We all get something back, personally, out of helping, and it’s more a satisfaction,” Schmitt said. “It’s an idea that we’ve done something for the community.”