FLORIDA – 01/27/2016 – The Florida Charter School Alliance (FCSA) today released new polling data demonstrating a majority of parents in the state support a constitutional amendment to mandate that local capital tax dollars be distributed equally to all public school students. Florida parents polled also overwhelmingly support equal education funding for all students, whether they attend district-run school or public charter school. Currently in Florida, local school districts levy a local tax to fund capital projects that, on average, give a school district $1,800 per student with zero tax dollars going to students who attend a public charter school. 66 percent of respondents believe this funding formula is unfair.
Other key findings of the poll include:
- 82% believe that all public school students whether attending a charter school or traditional public school should receive equal education funding.
- 62% would support a constitutional amendment mandating that local capital tax dollars be distributed equally to all public schools, including public charter school students.
- 55% support a statewide independent authorizer to approve and provide oversight to charter schools.
- 70% have a favorable opinion about public charter schools
This week, thousands of families across the country are celebrating National School Choice Week (January 24-30, 2016) and the diverse education choices available to parents – including charter schools, magnet programs, private schools and homeschools. The poll results show that 87% of Florida residents believe parents are best qualified to choose the best educational environment for their child.
This Florida Charter School Alliance Poll was conducted by telephone with live professional interviewers from January 19 to 25, 2016 with 800 registered voters in Florida. Interview selection was random from within a predetermined group of likely primary election voters in Florida. This group was structured to correlate with voter turnout in a primary election. Samples collected were kept proportional to the 10 media markets in the state of Florida. This voter sample has a margin of error of +3.5% percent at a 95% confidence interval. The poll was conducted by National Victory Strategies of Boynton Beach, Florida.
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About FCSA: Formed in 2010 by a group of educators, community leaders, and philanthropists, the Florida Charter School Alliance is a non-profit member-driven organization whose mission is to improve student achievement, promote parental choice by advocating for and collaborating with high-quality public charter schools.
Media Contact: Lynn Norman-Teck, executive director, FCSA.