School Choice in Illinois

Report Roundup

By Mary C. Breaden Vol. 27, Issue 21, Page 5

Illinois’ Opinion on K-12 Education and School Choice

Half of likely voters in Illinois expressed moderate to strong support for the use of school vouchers, according to a survey by the Indianapolis-based Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advocates school choice.

When asked if they viewed vouchers favorably, 39 percent of the respondents said they were “somewhat favorable,” and 12 percent said they were “strongly favorable.”

The survey also asked other questions related to school choice. For instance, when questioned on what the ideal school for their child’s education would be, 39 percent of respondents preferred private schools, 23 percent preferred charter schools, and 19 percent preferred regular public schools, the study found.

The 1,500 likely voters surveyed through phone interviews were defined as those who voted in 2006 and said that they were likely to vote in 2008. The poll, conducted by Atlanta-based Strategic Vision LLC in November 2007, has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Published Online: January 29, 2008
Published in Print: January 30, 2008