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Atlanta, Ga. – A recent poll commissioned by GeorgiaCAN and conducted by Baselice & Associates, showed that Georgia voters strongly favor Education Scholarship Accounts (ESA) and that support carries among all regions of the state and partisan leanings.
The poll shows 70 percent of registered voters in Georgia favor ESAs. The poll also reveals overwhelming support for the inclusion of specific categories of students in the program.
“Georgians understand that every child deserves a fair shot to succeed, no matter their background, family’s income or where they are from,” said Michael O’Sullivan, executive director of GeorgiaCAN, an education advocacy nonprofit. “ESAs help kids who would otherwise be left behind by empowering families with the ability to create a customizable education plan that maximizes a child’s unique learning ability.”
Poll details:
Question: “Through an Education Scholarship Account or ESA program, parents can sign up to have their child’s education funding deposited into an account that they can use to pay for a variety of state-approved schools, courses, programs and services, including private school tuition, online courses, tutoring, and special education services. Knowing this, do you favor or oppose an ESA program?”
Favor: 70%
Oppose: 24%
Question: “The Georgia legislature is currently considering a proposal to create Education Scholarship Accounts that would allow students to utilize a portion of what the state would have spent on their education and allow them to use that money for private school tuition or other approved educational expenses. For each of the following groups, please tell me if each should be eligible to participate in such a program?”
YES NO DK
84% 15% 1% Children of active duty military
87% 12% 1% Children in the foster care system
76% 21% 2% Children who have documented cases of being bullied at their public school
85% 14% 2% Children in low income families
89% 10% 1% Children with special needs or identified learning disability
72% 26% 2% All children, regardless of circumstance should be allowed to participate
13% 80% 7% No children should be allowed to participate in such a program
Baselice & Associates is a nationally recognized polling firm with significant experience with Georgia voters and elections. The poll was conducted March 2-5, 2019. It was a scientific sample of 500 Georgia registered voters and had a margin of error of +/-4.4 percent.
For more details on the poll, see the polling memo here.
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About GeorgiaCAN: GeorgiaCAN: The Georgia Campaign for Achievement Now is a grassroots nonprofit advocacy organization that seeks to identify and advance common-sense policies that put the needs of students first. We engage local stakeholders—from community members to policy makers—to advocate for student success throughout the entire public education system.