By now, most PTA presidents should have received a postcard from California State PTA outlining the details of a fifty-cent dues increase that goes into effect this year. Here is some more information for your units.
Details of the Dues Increase
At the National PTA Convention, held this past June in Orlando, delegates approved a fifty-cent ($0.50) per-member increase to National PTA’s portion of dues, from $1.75 to $2.25 per member. This increase became effective on July 1, 2011. California State PTA’s dues portion remains at $1.25 per member, and 17th District PTA’s dues portion remains at $0.50 per member.
All PTA units will now need to submit to 17th District $4.00 per member in per capita dues (or fifty cents more than in prior years), plus any council dues that may specifically apply to in-council units. 17th District’s remittance forms have not yet been updated to reflect this change, but they will be within the month.
How the Change Will Apply to Units
PTA units can choose to submit the additional $0.50 per member without increasing your member dues at all (thus reducing your unit’s retained portion by fifty cents), or by passing the increase onto your members by increasing your members’ dues by $0.50.
If you decide to pass the $0.50 increase onto your members, the executive board will need to vote to do so. It is also recommended that you consult with your membership before making this decision.
How Your Bylaws are Affected
ALL UNITS will need to manually write this dues increase into your bylaws: Article IV, Section 4(a) needs to be updated by striking “one dollar and seventy-five cents ($1.75)” and replacing it with “two dollars and twenty-five cents ($2.25).” This change is automatically effective and cannot be rescinded by any vote of your board or membership.
If your executive board votes to pass the $0.50 increase onto your members, the rest of Article IV, Section 4 should be updated to reflect your unit’s new membership dues. California State PTA has stated that they will not require units to submit their bylaws up through channels for approval prior to enacting a fifty-cent increase in membership dues to offset the increased dues.
Please note that the submission exemption only applies to an increase in your unit’s dues for this specific situation. Any other proposed increase in your unit’s dues will still need to go through the standard bylaws submittal process.
Questions?
If you have any further questions about this dues increase, please contact Susan Bell, 17th District President.
