Poll: Voters support school choice measures
August 29, 2023
School choice has become a heated topic in state houses nationwide, with six states enacting universal school choice programs this year, which allow public funds to follow students to private schools. Critics say it draws funding away from traditional public schools.
School choice debates aren’t likely to go away during the election season, with the topic coming up at the Republican debate last week and the surge of legislation to implementation. Experts told Chalkboard the issue is here to stay and will play a role in the 2024 election.
According to The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, a slight majority, 51%, of voters say they support some kind of school choice measures. Of those, 34% of voters say tax dollars should follow students regardless of the situation, and 17% said they support targeted school choice programs for low-income Americans.
“When you look at the party breakdowns, you see a split,” said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Polling. “Democrats say the dollars should stay in the schools right now. Republicans are on the opposite end of that spectrum and say tax dollars should follow a student regardless of the situation and let the parents decide what’s best.”
The poll of 2,500 voters found that some strongly oppose school choice measures, with 31% responding that they think taxpayer dollars should only go toward public schools and not be used for school choice initiatives. About a fifth of voters, 18%, were unsure of their stance on school choice.