SOUTH RIVER — The borough’s Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) is in short supply of a core ingredient of any PTA: parents.
Danielle Oswald, the organization’s president, said SEPTA currently consists of just her and fellow parent Bill Sellar.
However, SEPTA is not new; it started nearly 20 years ago. Its mission is to “make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.”
Oswald said SEPTA is designed to support the many students in the district — at least a couple hundred — who have an individualized education program (IEP), which is a plan that outlines required special services.
Oswald said SEPTA supports two main annual initiatives: a $250 scholarship for a student with an IEP to continue his or her post-secondary education, and an assembly with a puppet show for second-grade students that focuses on the abilities of all children.
Without more parents — and, specifically, someone to take over the treasurer role — those programs and the organization as a whole are at risk, she said.
“We don’t need a lot of time. We just need a few core parents,” Oswald said, adding the commitment would be as little as an hour a month.
She explained that for the monthly meetings, she has a conference line available so that working parents can participate more easily.
With more help — whether in the form of time, talent or monetary donations — she said SEPTA could expand its scholarship program and pursue fundraisers and other special events, such as presentations with a similar message as the second-grade program for older students.
SEPTA also could help special-services teachers with their wish-list items.
Oswald said she understands that one barrier to getting more people to participate is the number of parents in the district who do not speak English. She said this is not an issue she is able to address on her own right now, but she does encourage anyone who is interested to attend a meeting or visit the district’s website or SEPTA’s Facebook page.
“We’re here as a resource. We would love anyone to join us,” Oswald said.
SEPTA is not limited to parents. Grandparents and other family members of students with IEPs are welcome, she said.
The next SEPTA meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the elementary and middle school cafetorium, 3 Montgomery St., South River.