With the start of a new school year right around the corner, many parents are preparing anew to consider how well their selected educational paths serve the needs of their children over the course of the coming months.
A new report from EdChoice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to support school choice nationwide, explores Americans’ opinions on a range of education-related issues as the summer comes to a close, including support for and opposition to policies that foster educational flexibility.
Conducted in collaboration with Morning Consult, this survey consists of results collected during May, June, and July from online surveys. 2,250 adults and 1,300 parents participated in this study.
The survey explored numerous education-related issues , including the Trump Administration’s effort to close the Department of Education, federal funding, course offerings, and school choice policies.
Support for various school choice policies was much higher after respondents were provided an explanation compared to when they were asked to rank their opinion blindly.
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) — defined as “government-authorized savings account[s for parents] with restricted, but multiple uses for educational purposes” — were most popular among wealthy and highly educated individuals, as well as those who live in urban areas and are first-generation immigrants.
Rural, Black, low-income, and less highly educated respondents were the least supportive of this policy.
Support for school vouchers — which were described as a “system [that] allows parents the option of sending their child to the school of their choice, whether that school is public or private, including both religious and non-religious schools [using] tax dollars currently allocated to a school district” — was divided along partisan lines.
While Republicans and conservatives were some of the most supportive groups, Democrats and liberals were among the least supportive.
Also favoring school vouchers were middle-income individuals, those from immigrant families, and respondents from urban areas. Opposing school vouchers were low-income, rural, and suburban individuals.
Also split along partisan lines was support for charter schools, defined as “public schools that have more control over their own budget, staff, and curriculum, and are exempt from many existing public school regulations.”
Conservatives and Republicans were largely in favor of charter schools, while Independents, Democrats, and liberals were primarily opposed.
Wealthier and more highly educated respondents were also more supportive of charter schools than their lower-income, less highly educated counterparts.
Open enrollment — explained as a policy that allows students “enrolled in public school to select and transfer to a public school of their choice, rather than attending a school based on where they live” — received bipartisan support.
Instead of splitting along partisan lines, the urban/rural divide appears to have been the more prominent polarizer on this issue.
Middle- and high-income individuals were among the most supportive of open enrollment, while low-income respondents were largely in opposition.
More highly educated respondents were primarily in support of open enrollment, which those without a college degree were mostly opposed.
Click Here to Read the Full Results of This Poll
Although Maine currently allows for some degree of public school choice, the Legislature has recently shot down several attempts to make the process more streamlined for parents.
Known as the Superintendents Agreement program, Maine families are currently able to request that their child attend a school outside of their home district. If both the sending and receiving superintendents agree to the transfer, the student is allowed to enroll in their family’s chosen district.
Superintendents are currently allowed to deny a transfer if they deem to not be in the “best interest” of the student, a qualification that is not clearly defined in law.
Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) introduced a bill earlier this year that would have amended this process such that superintendents would be required to approve all transfer requests so long as their district has the space and resources necessary to support an additional student.
[RELATED: Rep. Laurel Libby’s Bill Expanding Maine’s Public School Choice Program Rejected Along Party Lines]
Following a public hearing on the bill in April, members of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee were divided along partisan lines over this bill, with all Republicans supporting it and all Democrats opposing it.
On the floor of the House, a similar split emerged, as only two Republicans broke with their party to oppose this legislation, Rep. Steven M. Bishop (R-Bucksport) and Rep. Nathan M. Carlow (R-Buxton).
The Senate followed suit shortly thereafter, rejecting the bill along strict party lines, with all Democrats in opposition and all Republicans in favor.
