*Reflections deadline extended until next Tuesday, January 31, 2012*

Welcome to the new Iowa PTA website!  We are still updating and expanding to serve you better.  If you have any suggestions, we would love to hear from you.

The school year off an running, and the holidays are just around the corner.  Where does the time go!!  With so many activities and events, it can be hard to keep up.  Hang in there and remember, Iowa PTA is here for you.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us. 

Reflections is gearing up.  Sommer Kibbee, our 2011-2013 Reflections Chair is very excited about this upcoming year, and all the fantastic artwork.  Iowa students really have some talent!!   We even had one of our submissions go to to win at the National PTA convention.  Lucky for us, Sommer attended the National PTA convention last summer in Orlando, and got many wonderful tips to help her run the Reflections program.  

The Iowa PTA Scholarship program is kicking off.  Tammy Koolbech, our Scholarship Coordinator, is looking forward to all the great applications.  Be sure to check this out if you are a graduating senior and are looking at attending an Iowa college.

Our Legislative program is always in action, making sure your children are represented to our legislators.   We are so lucky to have Maribeth Bousman as VP Legislation, and Shane Schulte as Legislation Chair.  Both are very passionate about children's issues.  National PTA hosts a wonderful legislation event in Washington DC in March, where PTA's from across the country march on Capital Hill to advocate for children.

The Iowa PTA Board is working hard on our upcoming state convention, to be held in DesMoines spring 2012.  It will offer great opportunities to learn new leadership skills and network with other PTA members on whats going on around the state, sharing you stories of success and asking questions that need answers.  Anyone is welcome to attend the convention.  You don't even need to be a current unit officer or even a PTA member to attend!!

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NOTICE - Iowa PTA Board Meeting - November 12th - Hiawatha

at Community of Christ Church - 1500 Blairs Ferry Road

Any Iowa PTA member is welcome to attend.

NATIONAL PTA DUES INCREASE !!!!

Dear PTA Presidents and Leaders,

For over 100 years, the PTA has been the organization that our nation’s families rely on to represent public education and children. PTA is the bedrock of most school communities, providing a place for parents and teachers to belong to a greater organization designed to improve their schools and children’s lives.

As PTA members, we belong to a group that promotes better choices for our children. A group that utilizes its’ collective power to achieve the goals of improving the health and welfare of all children. 

Over the past ten years, National PTA has wrestled with continuing to leverage our collective power while still providing the services that are needed at the local level. The past ten years have been marked by increasing costs and further demand on all of National PTAs resources. National PTA has instituted various cost cutting measures over the years to attempt to keep pace with these rising costs. With consideration of the rising costs, the expense reductions already implemented and increased demand for services, the National PTA Executive Board decided it should recommend the first fee increase in ten years.

At the National PTA Convention recently, delegates took these many struggles into account and vigorously discussed the issues facing our organization. It was after much debate that delegates voted to raise National PTA’s portion of the member fees from $1.75 to $2.25. With this change, the member fee for the combined Iowa PTA/ PTSA and National PTA will increase from $4.25 to $4.75 beginning July 1, 2011.

Although we all know that this is a difficult time to be implementing a fee increase, PTA remains an incredible value. For the cost of two Sunday papers, PTA members belong to a group that uses its power to give everyone a choice and offers enjoyable experiences for students and families.

Thank you for your service to your PTA/PTSA, your community and, most importantly, our children. It takes leaders to make an organization great. Thank you for being a leader.

 Click for a Q&A letter To Unit Leaders

Be sure to turn in you officer information, your updated bylaws and your dues for each member to stay in compliance with PTA.

Click for a review of how the IRS is cracking down on non-compliant non profit organizations!!!