A new poll commissioned by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) from the University of Georgia (UGA) School of Public and International Affairs Survey Research Center shows that most Georgia parents and registered state voters oppose private school vouchers.
At the mid-point of the 2024 Legislative Session, the Georgia General Assembly is considering legislation that could divert taxpayer funds from public schools to private institutions. The potential consequences are especially severe for rural school systems heavily reliant on state funds, facing the dual impact of losing both students and critical funding to unaccountable private schools through voucher programs.
Georgia also stands out as one of only six states in the nation that doesn’t allocate additional funding to educate students living in poverty—which remains a strong priority for voters. Over decades, public schools statewide have grappled with chronic underfunding, particularly in essential areas such as student transportation, teacher substitutes and rural education.
The poll of more than 1,800 respondents taken between February 16-21, 2024 makes clear that Georgians believe the state should provide additional support for K-12 public schools, especially those that serve students from families with low incomes.
Poll highlights include:
- When asked about using taxpayer money to pay for private school vouchers that would reduce funding for public schools, all ideological groups surveyed expressed clear opposition. 50.2% of Conservatives (+14.4% margin), 57.3% of Moderates (+26.1) and 56.7% of Liberals (+18.5) responded that they would not support this proposal.
- 73.8% of Georgians support using Georgia’s $16 billion surplus to replace the state’s aging school bus fleet at a cost of approximately $850 million.
- 65.4% of respondents said that they would support using $7.5 billion in surplus funds to create a self-sustaining Childcare Trust Fund to increase childcare access.
***Survey respondents are representative of the state’s population of registered voters.
See the full results below:
Question 1: Which action do you think would best support students in underperforming schools?
Option A: Give parents $6,500 to pay for tuition at a private school
Option B: Provide these public schools with additional state support
Option C: Increase choice options, such as charter schools or dual enrollment, for public schools
Question 2: Now thinking about your own family, which policy would be most helpful for your child or children? (Asked of respondents who indicated they had one or more school-aged children)
Option A: Give parents $6,500 to pay for tuition at a private school
Option B: Provide these public schools with additional state support
Option C: Increase choice options, such as charter schools or dual enrollment, for public schools
Question 3: Do you support the use of taxpayer money to help pay for a private education if it reduces funding for public schools?
Question 4: Georgia is one of six states that does not provide additional money to K-12 public schools that serve students from families with low incomes. Do you support or oppose providing additional funding for K-12 schools tied to the number of students they serve from families at or near the poverty level?
Question 5: Georgia currently has a budget surplus of about $16 billion. About a third of school buses in the state have been in service for 15 or more years. Do you support or oppose the state using surplus finds to replace these buses at a cost of about $850 million.
Question 6: Another proposal would be to use $7.5 billion in surplus funds to create a self-sustaining Childcare Trust Fund. The purpose of the trust fund would be to provide access to childcare for ages 0-3 through subsidies for parents and support for providers. Do you support or oppose using surplus funds for this purpose?
Question 7: Georgia lawmakers are considering a statewide law that would cap the amount local school districts could generate in property taxes, in part by freezing taxes at a level that corresponds to the purchase price of the property. This would result in less funding available to school districts over time and may require increasing other taxes or cuts to PreK-12 education. Do you support or oppose this proposal?
Question 8: Do you agree or disagree with this statement: The State of Georgia should be doing more to improve access to health care for its residents?
Download the full poll results here.
