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Poll Shows Most Nevadans Like Concept Of ESAs

Supporters for School Choice
Photo courtesy of Tim Dunn/Special to the Nevada Independent.
Hundreds of students, with parents and teachers, braved temperatures in the 20's Wednesday morning to show their support for school choice, part of National School Choice Week, at the capital. January 25, 2017.

Lee en español.

A poll commissioned by a group supportive of Education Savings Accounts found that nearly three-quarters of Nevadans favor the program, which would route some public education money toward private school tuition or other qualifying educational expenses, but has stalled amid Democratic concerns that it diverts scarce funding from public schools.

Results from the poll released Monday by Nevada Action for School Options also showed a plurality of respondents would put their child in a private school if they could, and the majority believe too little is being spent on public schools. The survey was funded by EdChoice, a foundation started by economist and free-market capitalism champion Milton Friedman that has advocated for school vouchers.

“We support programs that support the quality growth of educational options,” said Don Soifer, head of Nevada Action for School Options, who said his group planned to share the survey findings with lawmakers “honestly just to inform them about what we’re finding — that it’s a priority for Nevadans.”

The poll was conducted by Braun Research, which has a “B” rating on the blog 538’s pollster ratings. It involved more than 600 phone interviews and 600 online interviews in English and Spanish from Jan. 10 to Jan. 29.

To read the full story, go to the Nevada Independent.

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