The 30th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools |
PUBLIC VERSUS NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS
Choosing Private Schools at Public Expense
For the fifth year since 1993, the public was asked whether it favored allowing parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense. As in 1997, 44% of respondents are in favor. Since 1993, support has grown steadily from 24% to 44%. At the same time, the opposition has dropped steadily from 74% in 1993. This year 50% are opposed, down from 52% in 1997.
Blacks are the group most likely to support this choice, with 59% in favor. Public school parents are evenly divided: 48% in favor; 46% opposed.
The first question:
Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense?
| National Totals | |||||
| '98 | '97 | '96 | '95 | '93 | |
| Favor | 44 | 44 | 36 | 33 | 24 |
| Oppose | 50 | 52 | 61 | 65 | 74 |
| Don't know | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
A question posed for the fourth time since 1994 asked respondents whether they would favor allowing parents to send their school-age children to any public, private, or parochial school of their choice with the government paying part or all of the tuition. Fifty-one percent favor the idea, while 45% oppose it. This is a reversal from 1996, when 43% favored the idea, while 54% opposed it. Public school parents approve this year by a 56% to 40% margin.
Groups most likely to favor this proposal include nonwhites (68%) and 18- to 29-year-olds (63%). Groups most likely to oppose it include those in the 50- to 64-year-old age group (56%) and those in rural areas (56%).
The second question:
A proposal has been made that would allow parents to send their school-age children to any public, private, or church-related school they choose. For those parents choosing nonpublic schools, the government would pay all or part of the tuition. Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents | Nonpublic School Parents | |||||||||||||
| '98 | '97 | '96 | '94 | '98 | '97 | '96 | '94 | '98 | '97 | '96 | '94 | '98 | '97 | '96 | '94 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Favor | 51 | 49 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 46 | 38 | 42 | 56 | 55 | 49 | 48 | 74 | 68 | 70 | 69 |
| Oppose | 45 | 48 | 54 | 54 | 48 | 51 | 59 | 57 | 40 | 43 | 49 | 51 | 21 | 31 | 28 | 29 |
| Don't know | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Two questions new to the poll asked specifically about the use of vouchers, government-issued notes to be used to pay tuition at a private or church-related school. A split sample design was used. Half of the sample was asked about vouchers that would pay full tuition, and the other half was asked about vouchers that would pay part of the tuition. The public is evenly divided on vouchers paying all the tuition, with 48% in favor and 46% opposed. When asked about a voucher paying part of the tuition, 52% are in favor, and 41% are opposed. Public school parents support either option.
Nonwhites (59%), 18- to 29-year-olds (57%), and manual laborers (58%) offer strong support for paying all tuition. As indicated earlier, the responses are interesting in that, with regard to vouchers to pay all tuition, Republicans split 47% in favor and 48% opposed, while Democrats are 51% in favor and 43% opposed.
The third question:
In the voucher system, a parent is given a voucher which can be used to pay all the tuition for attendance at a private or church-related school. Parents can then choose any private school, church-related school, or public school for their child. If a parent chooses a public school, the voucher would not apply. Would you favor or oppose the adoption of the voucher system in your state?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Favor | 48 | 44 | 55 | 69 |
| Oppose | 46 | 50 | 42 | 22 |
| Don't know | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
The fourth question:
In the voucher system, a parent is given a voucher which can be used to pay part of the tuition for attendance at a private or church-related school. Parents can then choose any private school, church-related school, or public school for their child. If a parent chooses a public school, the voucher would not apply. Would you favor or oppose the adoption of the voucher system in your state?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Favor | 52 | 50 | 58 | 61 |
| Oppose | 41 | 43 | 37 | 25 |
| Don't know | 7 | 7 | 5 | 14 |
Tax Credits for Parents of Those Attending
Private or Church-Related Schools
Asked for the first time in this poll were questions involving the use of tax credits at the state level for parents who send their children to private or church-related schools. Once again, a split sample design was used, with half of the sample being asked about a credit for all tuition and the other half about a credit for part of the tuition.
On the question regarding a tax credit for all tuition paid, 56% of respondents are in favor, and 42% are opposed. Public school parents favor such a credit by 63% to 35%. When asked about a credit for part of the tuition, 66% of respondents are in favor, and 30% are opposed. Support by public school parents rises to 73% for a partial tax credit, while the number opposed drops to 24%.
Groups most likely to be in favor of full tuition credits include nonwhites (71%). It is interesting to note that Republicans, whose party is supporting tax credits at the federal level, approve full tax credits (57% in favor, 42% opposed), while Democrats, whose party is opposing tax credits at the federal level, favor such credits by an even larger margin (61% in favor, 37% opposed).
The first question:
Proposals are being made in a number of states to provide a tax credit that would allow parents who send their children to private or to church-related schools to recover all of the tuition paid. Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Favor | 56 | 50 | 63 | 89 |
| Oppose | 42 | 48 | 35 | 11 |
| Don't know | 2 | 2 | 2 | * |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
The second question:
Proposals are being made in a number of states to provide a tax credit that would allow parents who send their children to private or to church-related schools to recover part of the tuition paid. Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Favor | 66 | 62 | 73 | 89 |
| Oppose | 30 | 33 | 24 | 11 |
| Don't know | 4 | 5 | 3 | * |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
Obligations of Private or Church-Related
Schools Accepting Public Funds
Any debate over providing public funds to private or church-related schools eventually leads to the obligations schools must accept if they take the public funding. This year's poll included two questions in this area. The first asked if schools accepting such payments should be accountable to the state in the same way that public schools are accountable. In a consensus echoed by all demographic groups, 75% of respondents indicate that these schools should have the same accountability as public schools.
The second question repeated a question from the 1997 survey in which respondents were asked whether nonpublic schools accepting government tuition payments should be required to accept students from a wider range of backgrounds and academic ability than is now generally the case. Seventy percent of respondents say that nonpublic schools that accept public funding should be required to do so, while 23% say they should not. The percentage saying yes down from 78% last year is relatively uniform across all demographic groups.
These issues are of special significance since accountability to the state and required changes in admissions policies may be key factors in determining whether private or church-related schools choose to accept public funds if they are offered. It is certain that opponents of such aid will insist on the same kind of accountability that is required of public schools.
The first question:
Do you think private or church-related schools that accept government tuition payments should be accountable to the state in the way public schools are accountable?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Yes, should | 75 | 74 | 80 | 62 |
| No, should not | 20 | 22 | 16 | 26 |
| Don't know | 5 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
The second question:
Do you think nonpublic schools that receive public funding should or should not be required to accept students from a wider range of backgrounds and academic ability than is now generally the case?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||
| '98 | '97 | '98 | '97 | '98 | '97 | '98 | '97 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Yes, should | 70 | 78 | 69 | 78 | 76 | 80 | 52 | 76 |
| No, should not | 23 | 18 | 23 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 45 | 22 |
| Don't know | 7 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Impact on Public Schools of Aid
To Private or Church-Related Schools
One of the arguments raised by opponents of aid to private or church-related schools is that the effect will be to encourage those with the financial means to move out of the public schools, leaving them to the disadvantaged. To test these concerns, the poll asked public school parents what they would do if they could send their oldest child to any public, private, or church-related school of their choice with tuition paid by the government. Fifty-one percent indicate that they would continue to send their oldest child to his or her present public school, while 46% say they would send the child to a different school.
A follow-up question asked the 46% who say they would select a different school what kind of school they would select. Twenty-two percent say it would be a private school, 17% a church-related school, and 6% another public school. This would indicate that 57% of public school parents would keep their children in the public schools, while 39% would leave the public school system.
The first question:
Suppose you could send your oldest child to any public, private, or church-related school of your choice, with tuition paid for by the government. Would you send your oldest child to the school he or she now attends, or to a different school?
| Public School Parents | ||
| '98 | '96 | |
| % | % | |
| Present (public) school | 51 | 55 |
| Different school | 46 | 44 |
| Don't know | 3 | 1 |
The second question:
Would you send your child to a private school, a church-related school, or to another public school?
| Public School Parents | ||
| '98 | '96 | |
| % | % | |
| Private school | 22 | 19 |
| Church-related school | 17 | 17 |
| Another public school | 6 | 8 |
TOPICS:
Introduction to the Poll
Public Versus Nonpublic Schools
Grading the Schools
Effectiveness of Public Schools
Improving the Nation's Inner-City Schools
Politics and the Public Schools
Problems Facing the Public Schools
School Operation/Curriculum
Impact of Unions
The Public's Knowledge of Local Schools
Confidence in Institutions
Closing Comments
How to Order the Poll
Research Procedure
Sampling Tolerances
Design and Composition of the Sample
Conducting Your Own Poll
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