Growing Dissatisfaction with the Public School System
Since the onset of the pandemic, already high levels of support for school choice have only grown stronger. Over the course of nearly two years, support has increased by eight percentage points, starting at 64% in April 2020 and reaching 72% in February 2022 when the survey was retaken. With approval rising at approximately the same rate for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, it appears this issue has managed to transcend the often-impervious boundaries of political party identification. The clear need for school choice can also be seen in the stark disconnect between the parents’ expressed preferences for their children’s education and the reality of the situation. According to a 2021 survey, when parents were asked what type of school they would ideally like to see their children attend, 40% responded that they would prefer private school, 34% public school, 13% public charter school, and 13% indicated they would like to homeschool their children. In actuality, 83% of these same parents were sending their children to public schools, with only 8% enrolling their kids in private schools, 6% in charter schools, and just 3% of parents reported homeschooling.