PTAs weren’t always fundraising machines.
The first PTAs were founded in San Francisco over 100 years ago to focus on advocacy, parent engagement, and community-building.
In 1978, California voters passed Proposition 13, capping property taxes and dramatically slashing local funding for public education. San Francisco, a county with high property values, was hit especially hard. Within a year, the district’s budget plummeted, forcing layoffs, swelling class sizes, and wiping out music and arts programs. PTAs responded by raising funds to preserve the programs they valued most.
Today, there are 82 parent groups supporting San Francisco’s 102 public schools, not including charter, county-run, and preschool sites. Most are formal PTAs or PTSAs, affiliated with the national association, but about two dozen operate independently. All are registered 501(c)(3) organizations run entirely by parent volunteers, with legal obligations to report revenue and spending to state and federal regulators.
The majority of school funding in California comes from the state, using a formula built on equity — in theory. The state doles out a lump sum to each district, with more money going to those with higher needs. Then SFUSD uses its own formula to divide state funds among schools, without consideration for PTA fundraising.