Majority of Texas Adults Back School Vouchers, According to Recent Survey

Most adults in Texas support school vouchers despite agreeing with arguments against them, as shown in a new survey unveiled on Monday.

In a recent survey conducted by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, 2,257 adults were asked about their perspectives on school vouchers, programs that permit families to utilize public funds for private schooling, and education savings accounts, a voucher form championed by Gov. Greg Abbott. These accounts have gained traction since last year.

The survey probed respondents on their stance regarding common arguments both for and against vouchers. Supporters contend that vouchers grant families the liberty to choose the best schools for their kids, whereas critics fear they could drain resources from struggling public schools.

“After evaluating the pros and cons of vouchers, [respondents] generally leaned in favor of supporting vouchers,” remarked Mark Jones, one of the report’s authors and a professor at Rice University.

Particularly, Black adults tended to align more with anti-voucher arguments while still favoring such initiatives, noted Jones.

Among Black adults, 70% favored the inception of a universal school voucher program in Texas, and 72% backed voucher legislation benefiting low-income families. Additionally, Black adults tended to endorse arguments against voucher programs such as diverting funds from struggling public schools and lack of financial accountability in private institutions.

“There’s a growing sentiment among African Americans dissatisfied with their public schools, believing that vouchers offer a necessary change for improvement,” Jones explained.

According to the survey, Republicans displayed stronger agreement towards implementing a universal voucher program than supporting one solely for low-income families. Conversely, Democrats were more inclined to back vouchers for low-income families, with White Democrats exhibiting the least support for a comprehensive voucher scheme.

The survey revealed no notable variation in voucher support among respondents residing in rural, suburban, or urban regions of the state.

Last year, vouchers topped Abbott’s legislative agenda. However, efforts to introduce an education savings account program were thwarted by Texas House lawmakers, including Democrats and rural Republicans who have historically opposed such measures.

In the recent primary elections, Abbott actively campaigned against Republican incumbents who voted against vouchers, successfully unseating several. The governor is confident that the Texas House will pass a voucher program in the upcoming legislative session.

Disclosure: Rice University, Texas Southern University – Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, and University of Houston have supported The Texas Tribune financially. The Texas Tribune operates as a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization receiving funding from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors, with financial supporters maintaining no influence on journalistic content. A detailed list of supporters can be found here.

This article was originally published on The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/29/texas-vouchers-survey/.