Estimated Time to Read: 6 minutes
In a recently published survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston and the Executive Master of Public Administration Program at the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, a significant majority of Texans expressed their support for school choice initiatives, particularly in the form of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). This trend highlights a growing interest in alternatives to traditional government schooling, reflecting broader national debates about educational reform and parental choice.
Polling Insights on School Vouchers and ESAs
The survey, which included responses from 2,257 Texans, revealed robust support for ESAs and school vouchers, albeit with nuanced preferences. When asked about school vouchers, 65% of respondents supported their provision for all parents, with 33% strongly supporting this initiative. Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) garnered even higher approval, with 69% of respondents in favor, including 30% who expressed strong support.
Interestingly, support for these programs was slightly less when limited to low-income parents only. For instance, 59% of respondents supported school vouchers for low-income parents, while 64% backed ESAs under the same condition. This disparity suggests that Texans prefer more inclusive approaches to educational choice, rather than programs targeted solely at low-income families.
Demographic Breakdown of Support
The survey also examined support across different demographic groups, revealing significant variations. Republican respondents showed higher levels of support for both school vouchers and ESAs compared to Democrats. Specifically, 73% of Republicans supported school vouchers for all parents, while 55% of Democrats felt the same. For ESAs, 74% of Republicans were in favor compared to 61% of Democrats.
This is not necessarily surprising, given that Republican primary election voters have overwhelmingly supported ballot propositions on the topic of school choice in the last two election cycles and have included it in their state political party platform.
Ethnic and racial differences also emerged. Black Texans exhibited the highest support for both school vouchers and ESAs, with 81% supporting school vouchers for all parents and 84% backing ESAs for all parents. This support was notably higher than that among white Texans, who showed 63% and 66% support for school vouchers and ESAs, respectively.
Partisan affiliations heavily influenced agreement with both sets of arguments. Democrats were significantly more likely to agree with anti-voucher/ESA arguments than Republicans. For instance, 74% of Democrats agreed that vouchers and ESAs divert funds from public schools, compared to 49% of Republicans.
Racial dynamics further complicated these trends. Black respondents, despite their strong support for vouchers and ESAs, also showed higher levels of agreement with anti-voucher/ESA arguments. For example, 72% of Black Texans agreed that these programs provide limited accountability for fund usage, compared to 61% of white Texans.
Arguments For and Against School Choice
The survey presented respondents with common arguments for and against school choice to gauge their persuasive power. Proponents of school vouchers and ESAs argue that these programs allow parents to choose schools that best meet their children’s needs, reflect their values, and offer better educational opportunities, particularly for students in failing schools. Around 76% of respondents agreed with these pro-voucher/ESA arguments, highlighting a strong belief in the benefits of school choice.
Conversely, opponents argue that vouchers and ESAs divert much-needed funds from struggling public schools, provide limited accountability for how funds are used, fail to accommodate special needs students, and violate the constitutional separation of church and state. The survey found substantial agreement with these anti-voucher/ESA arguments as well, with 66% of respondents agreeing that vouchers and ESAs funnel money away from public schools.
Initial Reactions to Survey Results from Electeds
Here are some initial reactions from various elected officials around the state to the survey results:
“About two-thirds of Texans support school [choice]. Majorities of Republicans and Democrats support school choice. Majorities of Black, White, Hispanic and Asian populations support school choice. We will deliver school choice. We will empower parents.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Twitter/X post, 7.29.2024, @GregAbbott_TX
“Being forced into a certain school simply due to your zip code, regardless of whether or not that school is best for your family, is coming to an end. In 2025, the #txlege [Texas Legislature] will pass, and Governor [Greg Abbott] will sign, educational freedom for Texas parents and school children.”
Texas State Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) Twitter/X post, 7.29.2024, @JaredLPatterson
“The facts don’t lie. Voters want educational freedom and we plan to give it to them in the 89th legislative session!”
Texas State Rep. Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) Twitter/X post, 7.29.2024, @NateSchatzline
The Political Backdrop
These survey results come against the backdrop of increased political attention to the issue in the Texas Legislature, which has largely ignored it in recent sessions. During his State of the State Address amid the most recent legislative session, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) added the topic of parental empowerment and school choice as an “Emergency Item” to be considered by the Texas Legislature. However, the Legislature failed to address the issue in the 88th regular session, prompting Abbott to include it in a subsequent special session in the fall of 2023. The legislation failed in the Texas House of Representatives, leading Abbott and several special interest organizations to target those who voted against it in the primary elections earlier this year. As a result, nine incumbent state lawmakers chose not to run for re-election over the issue, and 15 incumbent state representatives lost their primary elections.
Further complicating the legislative landscape, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) has highlighted a disconnect in priorities among the “Big 3” (the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House) on budget priorities, with setting aside money for a potential school choice program being a key focus.
The survey results also potentially run contrary to efforts by Democrat State lawmakers in May of 2024 to encourage Abbott to call a special legislative session on what they perceived as a school funding crisis. We attempted to debunk that myth here.
Implications for Texas Education Policy
The strong support for ESAs and school vouchers among Texans suggests a potential shift in educational policy in the state. Given the legislative battles over school choice in the Texas Legislature, these poll results could influence future sessions and debates. The broad support across partisan and racial lines, coupled with nuanced preferences for broad rather than targeted programs, underscores the complex landscape of educational reform in Texas.
In conclusion, as Texas grapples with the future of its educational system, the clear support for ESAs and school vouchers reflects a growing demand for parental choice and educational flexibility.
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