How Americans View K-12 School Choice Policies: Trends and Comparisons Across ESAs, Vouchers, and Tax Credits

• In Event: The Latest Research on Private School Choice: Public Opinion, Participation, and Program Effects

Abstract

This study examines public opinion on a range of major school choice policies, focusing on education savings accounts (ESAs), school vouchers, refundable tax credits, and the Federal Tax Credit for Scholarships (FTCS). The analysis draws on two long-running national survey series developed and reported by EdChoice: the annual Schooling in America Survey and the monthly EdChoice Public Opinion Tracker. The policy window is especially timely. School choice programs have continued to expand at the state level, including universal-eligibility programs now operating in 19 states, while FTCS adds a new federal dimension to ongoing debates about school finance, program design, and educational opportunity. We address three research questions. First, how do the public, parents, and teachers view different school choice policies in 2026? Second, how have those views changed over time, using Schooling in America trends from 2016 to 2026 and Tracker school-year pooled averages from 2020 to 2026? Third, to what extent do awareness and support vary across policy designs and policy descriptions? This study is descriptive rather than causal. It compares national support levels, selected subgroup differences, and state-level variation across policy mechanisms that differ in design, visibility, and implementation. We expect the analysis to show five broad patterns. First, national support is generally positive and relatively stable over time across choice policies. Second, ESAs and tax-credit-funded policies appear to receive the highest and strongest support. Third, parents tend to be more supportive than teachers and the general public. Fourth, support varies somewhat depending on how policies are described, underscoring the importance of definitions, communication, and measurement when interpreting polling results. Fifth, although awareness and support appear fairly stable at the national level, we detect meaningful state-level variation in familiarity and views of ESAs and school vouchers. The contribution of this research is twofold. Empirically, it provides an updated descriptive account of opinion toward multiple choice-based policy designs during a period of rapid policy diffusion and program expansion. Substantively, it connects public opinion to questions of policy design, implementation, and diffusion, offering evidence relevant to researchers and policymakers assessing how different choice mechanisms are viewed in changing contexts regarding politics, policymaking, and federalism.

Author

• John Mason Kristof, EdChoice
  Presenting Author