Poll Shows Nationwide Parental Support for Publicly Funded State-Based Education Programs

A recent nationwide poll by state-based education funding company Odyssey showed that a majority (73%) of parents want access to publicly funded, state-based K–12 education programs. These include Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), microgrants, and other funding.

The poll, commissioned by Odyssey, was conducted by John Zogby Strategies of 2,714 parents of K–12 students 17 and under across nine states where ESAs are relevant. States polled were Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Utah. Surveys were collected from Sept. 1-5, 2023.

Significant findings show that:

  • In three of the states that do not currently offer ESAs, Alabama, California, and Pennsylvania, over 70% of parents said they wanted such funding available, and 64% said they would apply for it.

  • Direct digital access to funding and information is preferred by 77% of parents.

  • Response on ESA eligibility in seconds is preferred by 87% of parents.

  • The ESA program having a positive impact on their children was reported by 80% of parents.

  • The majority of parents (80%) said they would prefer to use a computer or mobile device to complete funding applications.

"The results are crystal clear: parents are advocating for more accessible and adaptable education funding options to support their students," said John Zogby, co-founder of John Zogby Strategies, who conducted the poll. "These new findings should show states across the country that education saving accounts and microgrants play a central role in providing parents with the resources they are seeking for their children. On top of that, parents clearly want easy and modern technology tools at their fingertips."

For more information on this poll and to download executive summary, visit the Odyssey poll results page.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  •  laptop on a clean desk with digital padlock icon on the screen

    Data Privacy a Top Concern as Orgs Scale Up AI Agents

    As organizations race to integrate AI agents into their cloud operations and workflows, they face a crucial reality: while enthusiasm is high, major adoption barriers remain, according to a new Cloudera report. Chief among them is the challenge of safeguarding sensitive data.

  • chart with ascending bars and two silhouetted figures observing it, set against a light background with blue and purple tones

    Report: Enterprises Are Embracing Agentic AI

    According to a new report from SnapLogic, 50% of enterprises are already deploying AI agents, and another 32% plan to do so within the next 12 months..

  • stacks of glowing digital documents with circuit patterns and data streams

    Mistral AI Intros Advanced AI-Powered OCR

    French AI startup Mistral AI has announced Mistral OCR, an advanced optical character recognition (OCR) API designed to convert printed and scanned documents into digital files with "unprecedented accuracy."

  • student using a tablet with math symbols dissolving into a glowing AI

    Survey: Students Say AI Use Can Reduce Math Anxiety

    In a recent survey, 56% of high school students said that the use of artificial intelligence can go a long way toward reducing math anxiety.