by Kim Jarrett
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.
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Kim Jarrett’s career spans over 30 years with stops in radio, print and television. She has won awards from both the Georgia Press Association and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. Jarrett is an associate editor for The Center Square.Â
