Partisan School Boards, Graduation Tests And Billions In Bonds For Schools -- Education Is On The Ballot In 14 States

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

60% : Utah Amendment B asks voters whether the state should increase annual distributions from its $3.3 billion State School Fund for public education from 4% to 5%.
59% : Revenue from issuing gambling licenses supports early childhood literary programs at public elementary schools.
58% : That said, public education funding and policy is largely in the hands of the states.
58% : For the 2024-25 school year, public schools received a total $106 million from the fund -- the largest distribution to date -- which pays for things like reading aides, college prep programs and career training.
56% : "It is something that legislatures are keeping their eye on because so much of education funding comes from the local side," Exstrom says.
55% : Opponents believe the amendment would open the door for public funding to be routed to private schools via voucher programs, education savings accounts and other new legislation.
54% : Though education has taken a back seat this election season, both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have spoken about education related topics on the campaign trail -- Trump has suggested shuttering the federal Department of Education and Harris wants to boost support for early childhood education.
50% : The amendment echoes a string of decisions by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that has made public education in the state a political lightning rod, including book bans, limiting discussions of gender and sexuality in classrooms and mandating that his six appointees to the board of the New College of Florida overhaul the public liberal arts college.
50% : The effort to repeal the program has been led by the advocacy group Support Our Schools Nebraska, the Nebraska Democratic Party and the Nebraska State Education Association, which argue that the vouchers threaten state funding for public schools, where nine in 10 Nebraska children attend.
47% : Bond Question 3 asks if voters would support a $230.26 million bond issue to fund capital improvements and acquisitions at public colleges, special public schools and tribal colleges.
40% : Funding for public schools has been an historically popular issue, but "in general, we're seeing in some states, especially in some school districts, it seems to be harder and harder to pass revenue raising measures," Exstrom says.
40% : Since 2006, voters in New Mexico have decided on 31 bond issues, approving all but one, a $155.57 million bond for higher education in 2010.

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