Join SAGE PTA!

We encourage all parents and teachers of RISD students with SAGE needs to join the SAGE PTA each year!  Your membership dues help fund everything we do, and your membership strengthens our voice for every child.   Anyone can join:  parents, teachers, students, staff, grandparents, caregivers, school board members, and other community members!  

NEW:  Join through JoinPTA.org!

We've made it easier to join!  Starting August 1st, you can join up to 6 members at once with a single convenient form at JoinPTA.org!  Here's how:

(1)   Visit www.JoinPTA.org

(2)   Select "Richardson ISD" as your district

(3)   Select "Richardson ISD Special and Gifted Education" as the PTA you wish to join  (IMPORTANT:  to join SAGE PTA, you must select "Richardson ISD Special and Gifted Education" specifically.  It is also great to join your school PTA, but membership in SAGE PTA is separate, and joining your school PTA does not add you to our SAGE PTA member list. You can join both!)

(4)   Fill out information for each member you wish to join ($9.00 per membership)

(5)   Join up to 6 members at once for a single $1.50 transaction fee

Details

2025-2026 Member Dues:  $9.00 per member

Of our $9.00 dues, SAGE PTA receives $3.00, Texas PTA collects $2.75, and National PTA collects $3.25.

In addition to dues, Texas PTA charges a single transaction fee of $1.50 for each use of the JoinPTA website.  To reduce transaction fees, families may join up to 6 members in the same transaction.  

If the cost of membership would be a financial hardship for your family, please see below for scholarship information.

Check or Cash

If you wish to pay for membership by check or cash, please fill out our Membership Processing Form.

Membership Scholarships

Thanks to generous donors and to the Marni Kaner Membership Fund, named in memory of past PTA Council President Marni Kaner, SAGE PTA can provide free membership to families experiencing financial hardship.  Marni worked tirelessly for PTA membership, and her support and leadership were instrumental in making SAGE a reality in RISD. 

If your student is receiving free or reduced-cost meals at school, or if your student attends an RISD school with a teacher-led PTA and our membership fee would be a financial hardship, please fill out our Membership Processing Form.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I join SAGE PTA?

Membership has benefits!  Once you join, you can:

• receive our monthly newsletter

• attend and vote in our Membership Meetings

• join our Facebook discussion group (current RISD parents and employees only, to protect family privacy) 

• feel proud that your dues make it possible for RISD families to participate in the only active SEPTA (Special Education PTA) in the state of Texas

• know that because of your membership, SAGE PTA can continue to provide support, advocacy, and education that will improve the experiences and outcomes of RISD students with SAGE differences!

I joined SAGE PTA last year.  Do I need to join again?

Yes!  PTA memberships last for the duration of the school year in which you join.  When the next school year starts, you know it's time to join SAGE PTA again!  

I joined my school PTA.  Is that separate from SAGE PTA?

Yes!  Each PTA unit is a separate organization with its own members, and you can join multiple PTAs!  Joining your campus PTA is an important way to be involved with and support your child's school.  Joining the SAGE PTA is an important way to be involved with and support the RISD departments that serve SAGE needs across RISD — but more immediately, it allows you to connect with other families and individuals across our district who understand your joys and challenges as a SAGE parent or teacher.  Our SAGE board includes parents and teachers who are eager to listen, to share their expertise, and to support both families and teachers.    

What areas does SAGE include?

The mission of the Richardson ISD Special and Gifted Education PTA (SAGE PTA) encompasses all disabilities and differences that can impact students at school.  These include:  physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, intellectual disability,  learning disabilities, attention disorders, medical conditions, above-level learning needs (gifted), social and emotional wellness needs, and mental health.  Because the priorities of diversity, equity, and inclusion are also central to the PTA mission and to our parent organization, National PTA, we maintain inclusiveness as an area of focus in all of our activities and advocacy.  This means that we work to maintain awareness about the ways in which diversity impacts student evaluations, student diagnoses, school services, social and emotional wellbeing, and family support, and we engage in conversations about intersectionality.  We support all differences and family types.

If any of these needs or differences matter to you or to your family, you belong in SAGE! 

How does SAGE PTA spend funds?

In the past two years, your dues, donations, and fundraiser participation have made the following possible:

• appreciation treats for districtwide Special Education teachers and staff

• appreciation lunch for elementary Advanced Learning teachers

• our website, where you can find our Book Fair with helpful book suggestions (including tips on how to check titles out from the library!) and other resources and information for parents and teachers 

• necessary PTA overhead expenses (insurance, Council dues, state and federal nonprofit fees)

• scholarships to fund state and national PTA membership dues for families facing financial hardship

Funds raised when SAGE was a PTA Council Committee have been used to provide over $3,500 in grants to PTAs at RISD schools, with priority given to schools with teacher-led PTAs,  allowing those PTAs to purchase equipment and supplies specifically to benefit students with SAGE needs.  Our SAGE PTA hopes to be able to continue this program in the future!

Can I make a donation to support SAGE PTA?

Absolutely!  We are grateful for your support!  We accept donations in any amount through our PayPal account, and we would also love to thank you as a sponsor!  You can find our sponsorship levels at https://bit.ly/SAGEPTAsponsorlevels2024-2025 and you can become a sponsor by visiting https://bit.ly/SponsorSAGE2526!