Parents clash over school access bill

As the end of the legislative session draws near, Utah's PTA and PTO leaders have gone into a fever pitch over a bill that calls for equal access of parent volunteer groups in schools.

Members of the Parent Teacher Association and Parent Teacher Organization swarmed outside the House doors Monday to lobby representatives.

The PTA is now adamantly against SB199, while PTO has wholeheartedly supported it all along.

Rumors swirling the Capitol that the state's charter school association has decided to withdraw support of the bill are not true.

"We're still in favor of the bill because it gives equal access, and you can never have too much parental involvement," said Kim Frank, policy and advocacy director for the State Charter School Association.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, states schools can't "set up policy or procedures that favors one group over another." It has cleared the Senate and is now in the House.

PTA leaders withdrew their support of the bill last week.

The action came a week after Bramble deleted an amendment at the PTA's request that would have required PTA and PTO groups to waive membership dues for parents who don't want to pay them. The PTA is very much against waiving dues.

Bramble's compromise came after he met with leaders of the state's PTA and PTO. The PTA voted the next day to support the newly amended bill.

Monday, the two groups of women kept their distance from each other outside the House.

PTO leaders are angry that PTA representatives changed their minds.

"PTA got everything they asked for. They said, `Oh, we agree, we agree, everything is fine.' Now they are saying it's not fine," said Dawn Frandsen, a PTO leader in Provo.

"I am shocked," Frandsen said. "I thought we were done."

State PTA spokeswoman Margaret Wahlstrom said PTA leaders decided, after further study, the bill could cause problems.

"These issues should be dealt with on a local level and not through statewide legislation like this that could have unintended consequences," Wahlstrom said. "There is some tying of administrators' hands that would result in their not wanting to allow any parent groups in."

PTO volunteer Laura Dyreng of Layton, said, "I just think PTA is bullying, trying to take over. They want control in the schools."

Wahlstrom said the PTA believes forcing equal access on a school is simply not a good idea. "They may choose to have no parent groups," she said. "Ultimately, this will hurt the children."

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