New poll confirms deep unpopularity of Abbott’s voucher scheme
AUSTIN, Texas – Today, a new poll from Z to A Research confirmed what educators already knew to be true: Nearly two-thirds of Texans are opposed to voucher scams in any form, fashion, or dressing.
These results arrive ahead of the Texas House Committee on Public Education’s Tuesday hearing on House Bill 3. HB 3 would pull thousands of taxpayer dollars per student from public schools to subsidize private school education. Texas AFT will testify against the bill on behalf of Texas educators and the millions of students they serve in public schools – all of whom would be directly harmed should HB 3 pass.
Over 400 Texas AFT educators have traveled to the Capitol today to make their voices heard during our legislative advocacy day. During visits with lawmakers and staff, they will share firsthand their experience in the classroom over the last two years, their anxieties about layoffs and campus closures, and their need for lawmakers to fully fund public schools. Of course, with the HB 3 hearing the very next day, they will also urge their representatives to vote their districts and reject this voucher scam.
Click here to read the poll memo from Z to A Research
“Unlike other polls out there right now, this poll asks voters how they feel about vouchers in a number of ways and from a number of angles. It doesn’t matter how you dress it up. You can put lipstick on the pig, but it won’t change the smell of the sty,” said Zeph Capo, president of Texas AFT. “The poll also shows that most Texans want more investment in their schools and in their educators, which makes sense after two years of widespread campus closures and layoffs. We need the Texas House to be the adults in the room. Let vouchers die on the vine and use your time and budget to fully invest in what our schools need to be made whole again. Over 5 million Texas students who attend public schools are counting on lawmakers to put them first.”
“Greg Abbott’s private school voucher scam will cut billions from our already underfunded public schools,” said Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy. “Our Texas teachers and school staff already earn less than the national average. Workers across our state stand firmly opposed to this scheme.”
Highlights from the poll:
A staggering 65% of those polled oppose a voucher program that takes tax dollars away from public schools to subsidize private school education. Despite a long and expensive campaign to convince Republicans that vouchers should be a priority, not even a clear majority support the proposal (50% of base Republicans support; 42% oppose).
It’s clear that the existential crisis faced by school districts also weighs heavily on the minds of Texans. When asked about education funding, 63% believe we spend too little on public education overall and 73% say we spend too little on educators’ salaries. If asked to choose between funding and vouchers, 78% say lawmakers should prioritize funding education and educator pay.
Voters are concerned about the impact of vouchers on property taxes, with 86% of respondents stating they would oppose vouchers if their taxes went up as a result. What’s more, 66% of voucher supporters report that they would change their position and oppose vouchers if their taxes went up.
Unified Texas commissioned Z to A Research to poll 1,275 likely midterm voters across Texas. Responses were fielded from Feb. 24-March 3, 2025.
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The Texas American Federation of Teachers represents 66,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel, and higher-education employees across the state. Texas AFT is affiliated with the 1.8-million-member American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO.
The Texas AFL-CIO is the state labor federation consisting of 240,000 affiliated union members and advocates for working people in Texas. Learn more at texasaflcio.org