How many parents usually attend PTA meetings at your child's school?

[Anonymous]

Title pretty much says it all. For those of you with children in elementary school, How many parents usually attend PTA meetings?

[Anonymous]

I'd guess that we have less than 50 parents for a school of 600 mostly two parent family kids whose parents live close by the school. That being said, we have lots more than that volunteer. Attendance at meetings isn't indicative of commitment to the activities of the PTA, commitment to the school and/or commitment to our kids.

[Anonymous]

At our school it depends on what is going on..sometimes there is a high interest item that could attract a (small) crowd..100? But most months it is a small core..20? Our school is quite large and I was shocked/disappointed at this at the beginning. But I have realized in the days of e-mails/listeserves etc, the actual meeting time is less important than all the other time put in at the school by a large number of involved parents.

[Anonymous]

If the kids are presenting we can get 125. If it is a business meeting 25 max. I have friends that don't participate because all they feel these meetings do is ask for money. I have been thinking that maybe we need to figure out how to create small tasks for parents to participate if they can't come to meetings. I can make a difference and help out that core 25.

[Anonymous]

What have been the high interest topics at your schools? Our general meetings are basically board meetings with a few additional attendees so I would love to hear ideas of what you have talked about to get 50 people there, let alone 100+. TIA.

[Anonymous]

Peaks and valleys...and I am representing the high-school level. The first one is always crowded...the ones in the winter months are ghost-towns. Then the "spring concert/PTSA" usually peaks at the maximum. The last one of the school year is always the weakest one.

My sister who's a superintendent...have schools that have experienced the same problem...and what they have started doing was having "boutique" style PTSA. This where you take parents of children with similar interest and hold their PTSA...e.g., all athletics, all performing arts, or all honor types gathering of specific groups. It has raised their attendance from about an average 33% to an average of 85%. Also when they stopped having meetings in the massive auditorium...where the auditorium holds about 2000, and only 25 would show up... The immediate dialogue began...where are all the people...? So they started holding meetings in small classrooms...and the illusion was that the room was full to capacity with involved parents...and the dialogue began to spread...that the room was packed and more people started to attend, because they thought they were missing out.

Sometimes you have to use smoke and mirrors.