About SFT PTA

The Santa Fe Trail PTA is a volunteer-operated non-profit organization comprised of parents, teachers, and community members supporting students, teachers, staff and families in the Santa Fe Trail community in Overland Park, KS. The PTA organizes and funds family events, field trips, cultural assemblies, teacher/staff appreciation efforts and so much more!

The SFT PTA is governed by Standing Rules voted on annually by the general membership. The SFT PTA is a unit of the Shawnee Misson Area Council PTA, Kansas PTA and National PTA.

The SFT PTA collects annual membership dues which includes portions payable to the national and state PTA. The SFT PTA officers include a president, three vice presidents, a secretary and treasurer. Officers are elected at the annual general membership meeting. There are four general membership meetings held each year. Meeting dates are published at the beginning of the school year and distributed to every family. A quorum must be present at a meeting for any business requiring a vote. The PTA operates through standing and special committees.

2026-2027 PTA Board
Jennifer Harms — President
Dani Bloss — Vice President #1, Classroom Programs
Jay Vaglio — Vice President #2, Student Programs & Family Events
Ginger Perrenoud-Donaleski — Vice President #3, Ways & Means
Karen Reynolds — Secretary
Abby Beyrau — Treasure

What the SFT PTA Does

Our core activities focus on:

Supporting Teachers & Staff: Providing classroom grants, specials grants (Art, Music, PE, Library, STEM), teacher appreciation activities, and other hospitality events to back our amazing staff.
Enriching Student Learning: Funding all grade-level field trips, cultural arts assemblies, and many school purchases that benefit all students.
Building Community: Organizing and funding school-wide community events, family fun nights, last-day-of-school park day, annual carnival Kindergarten round-up, and more!

How We Fund Our Programs

At Santa Fe Trail, we believe in smart fundraising and complete inclusivity. We limit student-led fundraising to just 1 event per year (the Fun Run) so families aren’t constantly asked to buy or sell. We also believe every student deserves to participate fully, regardless of financial background. Because of your support, programs like our Carnival, Family Fun Nights, Field Trip tickets, and Fun Run t-shirts are 100% free for every student. Here’s how we make it happen:

Two Major Fundraisers: The annual Spring Fundraiser and Fun Run are our primary revenue drivers, generating the bulk of our budget to support yearly operations.
Community Programs & Donations: Restaurant nights, skate parties, spirit wear sales, and Givebacks contributions bring in supplementary support.
Book Fairs: Partnering with Scholastic to earn library resources.

Examples of What We Fund

Teacher Grants, Classroom Support, & Staff Appreciation (45% of Annual Budget)

We provide direct annual grants to all teachers to purchase classroom supplies, learning materials, or items that will benefit their classrooms. There is dedicated funding for Art, Music, PE, and Library to purchase specialized equipment and supplies. We fund dinners during School Conference nights, treats and activities for Teacher Appreciation Week, and a variety of staff hospitality events through the year.

Field Trips, Cultural Assemblies, and School-Wide Activities (32% of Annual Budget)

We fully fund all school field trips to ensure every student can participate. We provide grants to school groups such as Choir, Gardening, and Mathletics. We fund “big ideas” that will benefit the school, such as school murals, playground equipment, and more. We organize and plan Cultural Arts assemblies that bring in external performers and educational speakers for school-wide enrichment.

School & Family Events (23% of Annual Budget)

We host regular free Family Fun Events, have made the Carnival free for all students, provide snacks and support for the annual Field Day and Back to School Night, and fund the 6th Grade Graduation activities. We also use this budget for our new Kindergarten families to feel included and connected, through Kindergarten Round-Up night, Tissues & Treats on the first day of school, and other organized activities for these families to begin connecting.

Get Involved In Our PTA Today

The SFT PTA is a volunteer-operated organization and is always in need of volunteers in order to organize and execute the many events and initiatives orchestrated in support of SFT students, teachers, staff and families. The SFT PTA is led by a team of board members and committee chairs who are eager to connect with you. Getting involved in PTA is a great way to support your student’s school community and a fun way to meet teachers, parents and caregivers in the SFT family.