Support is even stronger among Black and Latino voters; Trenton, Paterson, Plainfield and Jersey City parents overwhelmingly support public charter schools
HAMILTON, NJ, May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new statewide poll from Change Research released today by the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA) found that a majority of voters in New Jersey support public charter schools by a nearly 2:1 margin (50% of respondents indicated support and 27% indicated opposition), while parents surveyed have an even higher level of support (56% support and only 24% oppose). Support for charter schools rises to a nearly 3:1 ratio among Black voters (58% support and only 20% oppose). Support is also very strong with Latino voters (52% support and only 23% oppose).
“These findings underscore the valuable role charter schools play in the public education system, particularly for Black and Latino families throughout the state,” said TJ Best, Director of Government Affairs at NJPCSA. “This is about self-determination for our families and ensuring every child has access to a great public school. Parents are voting with their feet and we need to make sure we respect their choices on where they want to send their children to school.”
Similar to findings from a recent poll of Newark voters commissioned by the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, NJPCSA found significant support and low opposition among voters and parents in four New Jersey cities namely:
| Voters | Parents | Black Voters | Latino Voters | |||||
| City | % Support | % Oppose | % Support | % Oppose | % Support | % Oppose | % Support | % Oppose |
| Paterson | 66 | 16 | 79 | 6 | 72 | 16 | 70 | 12 |
| Jersey City | 57 | 22 | 63 | 20 | 62 | 21 | 67 | 12 |
| Trenton | 62 | 17 | 74 | 11 | 70 | 14 | 67 | 12 |
| Plainfield | 63 | 17 | 60 | 17 | 68 | 16 | 57 | 16 |
“Given the combination of charter school student achievement results from April’s release of the “Start Strong” state assessments, and the strong voter support for public charter schools in our urban districts, it is disconcerting that the Murphy Administration has denied high-performing charter school expansions particularly when more than 20,000 students remain on wait lists across the state,” continued Best.
NJPCSA engaged Change Research to conduct the poll. Change Research surveyed a total of 3,080 registered voters in New Jersey from February 28-March 6, 2022. This includes a statewide sample of 1,213 registered voters, as well as samples across several geographic regions in the state: Paterson (407), Trenton (332), Jersey City (493), and Plainfield (310). The overall margin of error, as traditionally calculated, is 2.91%. For more information, visit the NJPCSA website at https://njcharters.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/133/Change- Research-NJ-Voter-Parent-Poll-2022.pdf.
About New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association
The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association (NJPCSA) is the non-profit membership association that represents the state’s charter school community and, by extension, charter school students and their parents. There are currently 87 charter schools in New Jersey serving approximately 60,000 students. We are dedicated to advancing quality public education for New Jersey’s children through the cultivation of excellent public charter schools. The Association seeks to influence legislative and policy environments, leverage collective advocacy, and provide resources to support our members in developing and operating high quality, public charter schools. For more information, visit www.njcharters.org.
Contact: Skylyr VanDerveer
732-597-2948
skylyr@statesideaffairs.com
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