Student leadership, scholarships and fundraising; these are only a few opportunities that the Rouse Parent Teacher Student Association provides.

Led by President Stephanie Featherstone, the Rouse PTSA was launched in October of last year.

“I was approached by the Rouse Volunteer Coordinator, Kendra Woods, at this year’s Open House to consider helping launch the Rouse PTSA,” Featherstone said. “Kendra and I previously worked on other school related activities at the elementary and middle school level, so I trusted her perspective about the PTSA.”

Until October, Rouse was the only high school in LISD that didn’t have a PTSA. Featherstone saw this and began the process of creating one here.

“It was evident that before we could consider a launch, we had to have a president to ignite the engine,” Featherstone said. “I decided to step up to the challenge and help get us moving.”

In addition to activities that promote their cause to the community, PTSA will provide financial support for class instruction and student experiences. Teachers can submit funding requests, and the PTSA will evaluate each one.

“We are here to help everyone at Rouse,” Featherstone said. “Right now, we are working to identify the goals of the organization and build our membership. Once that happens, I think the PTSA can bring the Rouse community together by bridging communication and creating support for students and faculty.”

Besides being involved in recruiting board members, communicating with the Rouse community and working with the Texas PTA to charter the organization, Featherstone has planned general meetings for members. The next meeting will be April 17 in the library.

“Great schools have great support from PTSAs,” Featherstone said. “It’s a misnomer that PTSAs can’t co-exist at the high school level because of conflicts with other competing activities. PTSA is everybody’s booster club because it touches every student.”