Majority of Americans support school choice measures using taxpayer funds: poll

(The Center Square) – A new national poll shows a majority of Americans support school choice measures that would allow families to use taxpayer funds to attend a private school. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll conducted by Noble Predictive Insights found that over two-thirds of the more than 2,200 likely voters polled support giving families choices using public funds. The poll found that 69% of likely voters said they support a federal tax credit program that would allow students to attend a school of their choice, including a private school.Only 20% of voters said students “should attend the schools they are assigned to attend.”David Byler, chief of research at Noble Predictive Insights, told The Center Square that the question tests how voters react to the conservative argument for school choice, charter schools or what are sometimes described as school vouchers or education savings accounts (ESAs). “It says, ‘What do you think of having choice when it comes to education?’ And what you find is that the message there works really pretty well.”Byler said that even across political parties, the percentage of voters who back school choice initiatives is surprisingly high. “If you look at the party crosstabs, you have very high support amongst Republicans, and you have some strong support amongst Democrats, which makes it a classic wedge issue, an issue where one party is united, and the other party is divided.”Among Republicans, 77% said they back a federal school choice program while 62% of Democrats responded affirmatively to 27% who said students should attend the school they are assigned. True independents were least enthused about a federal school choice program, the poll found, though 60% of likely independent voters signaled approval and 24% said they thought students should be assigned to their schools. Byler said how Democratic voters respond illustrates a divide in the party and where Republicans and Democrats can come toge...