A Follow-up on the Voucher Issue

Abstract

FOR SOME time, we have felt that we should make more use of the results of the annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. We also believe that reporting relevant data from other polls will enrich the PDK/Gallup poll data. Thus we present this column, which will appear sporadically as information becomes available. In it, we will deal in greater depth with the findings of the PDK/Gallup poll and examine other poll data that confirm, dispute, or extend those findings. The 2002 PDK/Gallup poll posed two questions on school choice that included private school options directly. In the more general one, 52% of respondents opposed allowing parents to choose a private school for their children to attend at public expense. However, the 46% who approved represented an increase of 12% since last year. A similar trend was reflected on the second question, which essentially described a voucher option for parents (but without using the word voucher) and included public schools among parents' choices, with the government paying all or part of the tuition for private schools. The large increase in support for private school choice and the recent Supreme Court decision holding that broad-based voucher programs do not violate the U.S. Constitution seem almost certain to reenergize the debate over the wisdom of providing vouchers. Recognizing that the PDK/Gallup survey for 2002 had been completed before the Court's decision, the Gallup Organization decided to delve deeper into the issues in a poll it conducted during the week of August 14. It did so with two new questions and a repeat of one from the PDK/Gallup poll. The questions and the results follow: How closely have you followed the news about school vouchers -- very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all? National Totals % Very closely 14 Somewhat closely 35 Not too closely 26 Not at all closely 24 No opinion 1 From what you know or have heard, do you favor or oppose school vouchers, or do you not know enough to say? Follow Follow Vouchers Vouchers Very/ Not Too/ Somewhat Not at All Total Closely Closely % % % Favor 29 46 10 Oppose 15 23 6 Don't know 56 31 83 A proposal has been made that would allow parents to send their school- age children to any public, private, or church-related school they choose. For those parents choosing nonpublic schools, the government would pay all or part of the tuition. Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state? Follow Follow Vouchers Vouchers Very/ Not Too/ Somewhat Not at All Total Closely Closely % % % Favor 56* 60 54 Oppose 40* 39 40 Don't know 4 1 6 *This question was first asked in 1994. The percentage in favor was 45% at that time and has ranged as low as 43% and as high as 51% in the interim. The responses support the following conclusions: * Half the public follows news about school vouchers; half does not. * More than half say they do not know enough to decide whether they favor or oppose vouchers. * Support is relatively high among those who follow vouchers and very low among those who do not. …