Pierre, SD – January 27, 2025 – The South Dakota Public Schools Coalition announced the results of a recent statewide poll confirming South Dakota voters overwhelmingly oppose the implementation of education savings accounts, also known as school voucher programs.
According to the poll:
- By a 36%-58% margin, voters oppose “a school voucher program, also known as education savings accounts, where the state gives parents tax dollars that pay for their student to attend a private school or be homeschooled rather than a public school.”
- This opposition includes parents of public school students (21% of the electorate), who oppose the proposal by a 33%-58% margin.
The opposition to vouchers is primarily driven by the belief that South Dakota's K-12 schools are already underfunded:
- A clear majority of voters (57%) believe that South Dakota public K-12 schools receive too little funding, with only 9% saying they receive too much funding and 20% stating the funding is about right.
- Those who believe South Dakota’s public schools receive too little funding oppose the voucher proposal by a massive 19%-77% margin.
Instead of sending taxpayer money to private schools, lawmakers must focus on public schools—where 83% of children attend—not fund two school systems. The best way to improve education in South Dakota is not to divert money to private schools but to invest in improving public schools, as South Dakota currently spends much less per student than nearly 40 other states and over $7,000 less than the national average.
Voters also realize that most rural and small-town communities in South Dakota do not have private schools, so taxpayer-funded vouchers will mostly help students in more populated areas of South Dakota, as funding will be drained from rural schools and taken elsewhere.
These poll results clearly indicate that South Dakotans value their public schools and are concerned about the negative impacts of diverting public funds to private education. Our public schools are already struggling with insufficient funding, and the state is facing a lean budget year and several proposed cuts. Creating these so-called education savings accounts would only exacerbate this issue.
The South Dakota Public Schools Coalition urges lawmakers to consider the strong opposition from voters and prioritize the funding and support of public education.
The poll was conducted by American Viewpoint from January 13 to 15, 2025, with a sample of 500 general election voters and a margin of error of +/—4.4% at the 95% confidence level.
For more information, contact:
Associated School Boards of South Dakota - Heath Larson, Executive Director, 605.222.6043
South Dakota Education Association - Ryan Rolfs, Executive Director, 605.222.4291
School Administrators of South Dakota - Rob Monson, Executive Director, 605.505.0556
South Dakota Unified School Districts - Mitch Richter, Executive Director, 605.360.1370
Large School Group - Dianna Miller, Executive Director, 605.360.8108
