New Poll: Majority of New Jersey Voters and Parents Support  Public Charter Schools by a 2:1 Margin

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 – 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:

“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.