A coalition of nonpublic schools Thursday released a new poll showing two-thirds of voters would prefer to send their children to private schools (45 percent) or charter schools (20 percent) and a majority support tax credits for children who attend private schools.
Conducted by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice in Indianapolis, the poll of 1,200 likely voters was released by the Maryland Catholic Conference and Maryland Nonpublic Schools Legislative Coalition.
Both groups, which include Christian, Jewish and nonreligious schools, have actively supported tax credits to Maryland businesses who donate to need-based scholarships, which was supported by 63 percent of the voters in the poll.
Mary Ellen Russell, deputy director of the Catholic Conference, called the poll results “encouraging news.”
The Senate this year passed legislation creating a 75 percent state tax credit for Maryland businesses who give to scholarship programs or innovative educational programs, regardless of the type of school.
The bill died in the House.
The telephone poll, taken in late June, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.
The poll also found that:
- One of six Marylanders (17 percent) rate the public school system as good or excellent;
- A majority said funding for public school is about right (20 percent) or too high (42 high);
- Nine out of 10 poll respondents also underestimated the total amount of federal, state and local money spent per student in Maryland, which is $12,230.
- Two-thirds (65 percent) said the amount was less than $8,000 per year per student.
