(The Center Square) — A poll of 1,200 likely Tennessee voters shows both Democrats and Republicans would back candidates who support school choice.
Democratic voters were even more likely than Republicans, with 58% saying they would vote for a proponent of school choice compared to 56% of their GOP counterparts, according to a poll by The Beacon Center.
However, 21% of Democrats polled said they would not support a school choice candidate compared to 14% of Republicans.
Tennessee lawmakers failed to pass legislation that would have enacted an educational savings account program statewide. The proposal would have granted 20,000 accounts at $7,075 annually. The cost was estimated at $100,000 in the first year and $300,000 in the following years. The $144,000 allocated for the school choice program remained in the budget.
A Beacon Poll of 1,302 likely voters conducted in January showed that 68% supported the plan, 19% opposed it and 13% were unsure.
School choice is a personal issue for some parents, according to The Beacon Center’s Mark Cunningham.
“School choice is really not a philosophical issue. They see some of the problems and they see a private school like five miles away where their kid’s friend is getting a great education,” Cunningham said. “Or you might see a school in another county or a charter school.”
Three Tennessee counties, Shelby, Davidson and Hamilton, currently participate in a school choice pilot program. The students are receiving $9,800.
