New poll shows most Texans oppose school vouchers, even if described as ‘school choice’

School vouchers — which Gov. Greg Abbott and other backers call “school choice” — are unpopular in Texas, regardless of what terminology is used to describe them, a new poll finds.

The survey, released Monday by Washington D.C.-based Z to A Research, asked 1,275 likely midterm voters in Texas separate questions about whether they would support a “school voucher” plan or a “school choice” plan to fund private school tuitions. The majority opposed both descriptions of the proposal.
According to the poll, 52% of respondents said they either “strongly opposed” or “somewhat opposed” passing a “school choice program” that would “create an Education Savings Account Program for parents to pay for K-12 tuition at private schools.” That description uses terms favored by Abbott, a Republican, and other voucher proponents.

That total jumped to 65% when respondents were asked if they support a “school voucher” program that “takes tax dollars away from local public schools to subsidize a student’s private school education” — language often used by opponents of the voucher plans.

Z to A Research, founded by Democratic pollster and strategist Nancy Zdunkewicz, conducted its poll between Feb. 24 and March 3.

“Unlike other polls out there right now, this poll asks voters how they feel about vouchers in a number of ways and from a number of angles,” Texas American Federation of Teachers (Texas AFT) President Zeph Capo, a voucher opponent, said in a statement. “It doesn’t matter how you dress it up. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it won’t change the smell of the sty.”

During a stop in San Antonio last month to drum up support for vouchers, Abbott maintained that neither bill being considered by lawmakers would defund the state’s public schools.

However, experts and public school advocates argue otherwise.

“Greg Abbott’s private school voucher scam will cut billions from our already underfunded public schools,” Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy said in an emailed statement. “Our Texas teachers and school staff already earn less than the national average. Workers across our state stand firmly opposed to this scheme.”

Vouchers’ poor poll performance with likely Texas voters comes as hundreds of teachers will descend on the State Capitol Monday afternoon to voice opposition to a pair of voucher bills currently under consideration in the Texas Legislature.

Senate Bill 2 would allocate $10,000 in taxpayer money to 100,000 eligible Texas families who opt to enroll their children in private schools. Meanwhile, House Bill 3 would tie the amount allocated for program participants to the state’s per-pupil funding.

The Republican-led Texas House Committee on Public Education is expected to hear public testimony on HB 3 starting Tuesday.

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This article appears in Mar 5-18, 2025.