Poll: Just 1 in 3 Chicago voters happy with Chicago Public Schools
A new survey shows most Chicago voters polled were not satisfied with Chicago Public Schools. A majority supported school choice.
A new poll found just one-third of 800 voters polled are satisfied with the city’s current public education, and 62% support school choice.
An Illinois Policy Institute survey conducted by Echelon Insights Feb. 15-19 found a majority of the voters polled want students to be able to attend a school that’s right for their learning needs, even if it’s not a public school.
While residents overwhelmingly supported school choice, responses also show 54% of Chicagoans disapprove of the current public education system.
Recent reports revealed nearly 80% of Chicago’s 11th graders could not read or perform math at grade level in 2022. Nearly half of CPS students were also chronically absent.
Despite concerns about the city’s declining public education, Chicagoans remained optimistic about policy solutions that could improve outcomes for students. Options include the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, which helps more than 9,000 low-income and working-class families apply for grants to non-public schools each year.
Even Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently changed his stance and now supports the program.
The Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program is set to expire at the end of 2023, which could mean thousands of disadvantaged students will lose access to the education that best fits their needs.
State lawmakers have an opportunity to secure and expand a program with broad public support.