The Marshall Lane Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was formed in 1987 as the “Marshall Lane Home and School Club.” What started as a small group of parents and teachers working on a couple of minor programs and fund-raisers has grown into a large and established organization with a budget that’s typically between $150,000 to $190,000 that includes four major community-building fundraiser events and 30-plus very high quality programs.

The programs typically include Physical Education, Small Classroom Size Instruction, Music and Performing Arts, Mustang Chorale, Science, Reflections After School Art, Kids Can Knit, Family Fun Night, Family Picnic, Parent Education Nights and Staff Appreciation Lunches, and Field Trips, among others. This PTA also raises thousands of dollars for school technology like computers, playground equipment and emergency supplies.

Its fund-raisers usually include the flagship Pumpkin Walk Carnival, Spring Fling and auction and the Walk-a-thon, plus a few retail based ones including eScrip (www.escrip.com), Scrip gift cards service, Book Fairs, and Logo Wear.

2008-2009 was a year of reinvention for this PTA. The leaders worked hard on a new branding and image campaign in order to drum up more support for fund-raisers and programs. A new logo was created, and a new and improved Mustang Messages Newsletter and wiki team room Web site were born. Friday School Pride Day started where kids were encouraged to wear school colors, walk-a-thon shirts or "logo wear."

The main goal of Marshall Lane PTA is the same as the National PTA goal — to enhance the lives of the children.

However, in the Fall of 2008 its leaders developed new goals for the organization that better reflect the desires of its parent and teacher members. These include:

1. More balance in the lives of the PTA volunteers, and others in the school community
2. A “greener” PTA, e.g. with fewer paper flyers in the Thursday Envelope.
3. Simplifying many aspects of the PTA, e.g., fund-raisers that require fewer volunteers
4. The development of more activities that build a sense of community.
5. Celebration and recognition of the diversity of the student population.

Marshall Lane PTA volunteers follow the PTA Toolkit at www.capta.org and keep updated Bylaws in order to be recognized as an active PTA unit. Marshall Lane PTA is covered by California State PTA Insurance.

Marshall Lane PTA is an out of council PTA in the 6th District of California. The 6th District web site is www.capta6.org. Marshall Lane PTA is a non-profit with a Tax ID number of 23-7043929.