Texas Statewide Poll Shows Strong Support for School Choice

The American Federation for Children released a poll conducted by Mason-Dixon that examined Texas voters’ attitudes towards school choice policies at the state and federal level. In total, 625 registered voters expressed strong support for K-12 education reform policies such as Education Savings Accounts and Tax Credit Scholarships.
Statement from John Schilling, President of the American Federation of Children:
“Texas voters clearly want K-12 educational options to be expanded at the state level. As state leaders look to improve educational outcomes for children, we believe that all families, especially lower income and middle class families, must have the freedom to choose the educational environment that best suits the needs of their son or daughter.
“Texans also strongly support the Trump administration’s Education Freedom Scholarship proposal. Texas Senator Ted Cruz authored the Senate version and six members of the Texas delegation have co-sponsored Alabama Representative Bradley Byrne’s House version: Reps. Brian Babin, Dan Crenshaw, Bill Flores, Randy Weber, Roger Williams, and Ron Wright.”
 
Details:
Education Savings Accounts – 74% support, 16% oppose, 10% undecided
Tax Credit Scholarships – 64% support, 26% oppose, 10% undecided
Federal Tax Credit – 67% support, 24% oppose, 9% undecided
 
Full Poll Results:
QUESTION: Education Savings Accounts, also known as E-S-A-s, allow parents to use state education tax dollars to customize their child’s learning and development. Approved ESA expenses include technical training, K-12 school tuition, or even special needs therapies from an array of providers including public and private schools or tutors. Do you support or oppose an Education Savings Account program in Texas?

Support Oppose Undecided
Statewide 74% 16% 10%

 

East Texas 79% 12% 9%
Dallas/Fort Worth 76% 14% 10%
Houston Metro 79% 12% 9%
Central Texas 76% 17% 7%
South Texas 63% 24% 13%
West Texas 71% 18% 11%

 

Men 77% 16% 7%
Women 71% 16% 13%

 

AGE
<50 71% 19% 10%
50+ 76% 14% 10%

 

White 79% 13% 8%
Black 65% 27% 8%
Hispanic 66% 22% 12%

 

Democrat 62% 25% 13%
Republican 83% 11% 6%
Independent 74% 15% 11%

 
 
QUESTION: A tax credit scholarship program would give families access to private schools by allowing companies or individuals to receive a tax credit for donations to non-profit organizations which award scholarships to eligible students. Do you support or oppose a tax credit scholarship program in Texas?

Support Oppose Undecided
Statewide 64% 26% 10%

 

East Texas 67% 25% 8%
Dallas/Fort Worth 67% 23% 10%
Houston Metro 67% 24% 9%
Central Texas 66% 28% 6%
South Texas 54% 32% 14%
West Texas 61% 28% 11%

 

Men 67% 28% 5%
Women 62% 24% 14%

 

AGE
<50 65% 27% 8%
50+ 63% 26% 11%

 

White 75% 19% 6%
Black 51% 36% 13%
Hispanic 46% 37% 17%

 

Democrat 47% 37% 16%
Republican 78% 16% 6%
Independent 65% 27% 8%

 
 
QUESTION: Do you support or oppose a federal tax credit proposal in Congress where individuals and businesses could donate to non-profit scholarship granting organizations in the states that would provide scholarships for and technical schools of their choice?

Support Oppose Undecided
Statewide 67% 24% 9%

 

East Texas 69% 19% 12%
Dallas/Fort Worth 73% 20% 7%
Houston Metro 68% 23% 9%
Central Texas 69% 21% 10%
South Texas 55% 36% 9%
West Texas 63% 28% 9%

 

Men 70% 23% 7%
Women 65% 24% 11%

 

AGE
<50 63% 25% 12%
50+ 70% 23% 7%

 

White 70% 24% 6%
Black 54% 29% 17%
Hispanic 56% 33% 11%

 

Democrat 56% 32% 12%
Republican 79% 14% 7%
Independent 63% 28% 9%

 
This poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida from May 31 through June 4, 2019. A total of 625 registered Texas voters were interviewed statewide by telephone. Those interviewed were selected randomly from a telephone-matched Texas voter registration list that included both land line and cell phone numbers. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter registration by county.  The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by statisticians, is no more than ± 4 percentage points. This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the “true” figure would fall within that range if all voters were surveyed. The margin for error is higher for any subgroup, such as a gender or age grouping. Polling memo can be found here
 

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