By Kathryn Hickok
A June 2023 RealClear Opinion Research survey of registered voters shows public support for school choice has increased seven points since 2020. Seventy-one percent of voters—up from 64% three years ago—say parents should “have the right to use tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school which best serves their needs.”
Support for school choice commands a strong majority across political affiliations. Sixty-six percent of Democrats, 80% of Republicans, and 69% of Independents polled said they support this definition of school choice. Seventy percent of Asian, 73% of Black, and 71% of Hispanic voters also said they support it.
It’s clear parents want more choices. This year, five states passed or expanded universal or near-universal school choice laws. Others expanded their state laws to include more students. States that are empowering parents to find the right fit for their children’s educational needs are opening doors of opportunity for generations of students. It’s time Oregon let the “money follow the child” so every student has a chance to succeed.
Kathryn Hickok is Executive Vice President at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization, and Director of Cascade’s Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program.
