The Round Rock ISD Council of PTAs is celebrating 50 years of service, marking five decades of volunteer-led support for students, families and campuses across the district.
This PTA Council was established in 1975 to strengthen collaboration among local parent-teacher associations. Today, it supports the district’s 55 local PTAs through leadership development, districtwide programming and coordinated communication with state and national PTA organizations.
“We’re very fortunate to have enough local PTAs that we require a council,” said Melissa Waelchli, the 2025 - 2026 President of the Round Rock ISD Council of PTAs. “To have a council means you have an extra step of support ahead of Texas PTA. We’re really proud to have been established in Round Rock ISD for these 50 years.”
The PTA Council’s mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children, work that Waelchli said begins with strong community building. For example, each PTA might help their campus by funding initiatives like teacher morale events or by supporting fun things like student-focused events.
“PTA is the Parent Teacher Association, which means we are trying to get parents and teachers together to support the children in their care,” she said. “When you have more family engagement in your local schools, students succeed.”
Waelchli first became involved in PTA more than a decade ago, when her youngest was in kindergarten and later reengaged during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a renewed focus on advocacy.
“The PTA happens to be the largest child advocacy group in the country,” she said. “That really lit a fire in me to be an advocate for public education and for the children who are most vulnerable: our economically disadvantaged families and our special education families. PTA is one of the ways we can give that support.”
Looking ahead to the next 50 years, Waelchli hopes to see continued membership growth, stronger campus organizations and more communitywide events that connect families across the district.
“Round Rock ISD is a huge district. We all live in different places, but the one thing that unites us is this district,” she said. “I’m really encouraged to see what the next 50 years will look like; it’s such a great benefit to have a strong PTA on your campus and within your district.”
For more information about the Round Rock ISD Council of PTAs, including programs and membership opportunities, visit the PTA Council’s website.