Nearly Nine out of Ten Oregonians Would Opt out of Regular Public Schools
Where do Oregonians send their children to school? Where would they send them if they had the choice?
Right now, 91 percent of Oregon families send their children to a regular public school – usually the one chosen for them based on where they live. But a new public opinion survey reveals that nearly nine out of ten Oregonians would opt out of regular public schools altogether if they could. What schools would they choose? Forty-four percent would choose private schools, while most of the rest would select charter, virtual or homeschooling.
Why the stark contrast?
It’s because most people can’t afford to pay taxes for public schools and tuition for private schools at the same time. Even though more than 5 billion tax dollars a year go toward educating Oregon’s school-age children, virtually all of that money goes to public school districts, not parents or students. Send your children where the state wants you to send them and their education is “free.” Make another choice, and you foot the bill yourself. The tax money stays in the public system, even if your child is being educated somewhere else.
Oregonians clearly want to be able to choose where their children go to school. It’s about time that our lawmakers give them that choice by letting the money follow the child.
Steve: It appears that 83% of the survey sample has children in grades K-12. Actually about 30% of voters have kids in those grades.
Comment by Bob Moore — 1/21/2009 @
That’s true Bob. Similar surveys in other states have reported similar results. I assume it’s because parents are more likely to take the time to answer questions about education than non-parents might be.
Comment by Steve Buckstein — 1/22/2009 @
I would not enroll my child in a government run public school, because I do not believe in the government educating my child. It should be a parent’s chice. Also, pubic schools are violent, teach homosexuality, encourage drugs, not respect toward authority, parents and God.
I would check out Christian day schools and the materials they use and also the books my child would be using before I would place my child under anyone’s control. I must answer to God one day for my actions, and how and where I placed my child. God should come first, NOT the government’s force and propaganda against God, Country, parents, and authority.
Comment by Roxanne — 8/29/2009 @