The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools is touting a new survey that shows a majority of the state’s voters support charter schools in the state.
As The Advertiser reports, the survey was conducted in June among “a representative sample” of 600 registered voters across the state, according to the organization. There are nearly 2.9 million registered voters in Louisiana, according to the Secretary of State.
The survey results show that 62% of respondents—or 372 people—say they generally support charter schools. Of those, 33% say they “strongly support” the schools. Meanwhile, 19% of respondents—or 119 people—say they oppose charter schools, and 11% of those “strongly oppose” them.
“The results are clear: Louisiana voters support charter schools and the options that charter schools provide to parents and families,” says LAPCS Executive Director Caroline Roemer in a prepared statement. “What they offer to Louisiana families is choice—parents can choose a public school option that fits the unique needs of their child. Voters are in favor of having this choice.”
Strategies 360, the company that administered the survey, also provided respondents with a crafted description of charter schools, saying they do not charge tuition and are publicly funded. The statement also says that charters “are held more accountable for showing improved student achievement” and that teachers and principals “are given more flexibility to customize their teaching methods and curriculum to improve student learning.”
When respondents were told that, the support for charter schools rose to 79%, and 53% of those said they strongly support charters. Another 13% still opposed the schools.
The LAPCS provided a few overall results in a Monday press release. The Daily Advertiser asked for and received on Tuesday a copy of the complete survey results.
The survey also broke down Louisiana charter school support by demographic. According to the results, 63% of men surveyed, and 61% of women, support charter schools. Sixty-six percent of white respondents showed support, as did 54% of black respondents.
