NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — With the upcoming legislative session of the 114th General Assembly set to begin in about a week, the latest statewide poll shows broad support for Gov. Bill Lee’s “Education Freedom Scholarship” plan, otherwise known as school vouchers.
The latest Beacon Center poll shows “a whopping 67% of Tennesseans” support the governor’s plan, and only 13% oppose it.
According to the poll results, support for the school voucher plan is consistent across party lines, though Republicans showed the largest amount of support, at 75%.
“It is also well above water with Democrats (+25%), and Independents (+57%),” the Beacon Center said of the poll.
The poll was conducted from Dec. 16 to Dec. 27, 2024, with 1,200 registered Tennessee voters responding.
According to the poll results, 20% of respondents said they had “no opinion” or were “not sure” about the education plan from the governor.
The poll also asked respondents how they felt about public education in Tennessee.
Nearly 60% of respondents said they were dissatisfied about public education (54%), with only 40% of respondents approving of public education. Six percent of respondents were “not sure,” according to the poll.
Respondents also largely said they would be much more likely or somewhat more likely to support lawmakers who supported the voucher legislation, at 57%. Only 12% of respondents said they would be much or somewhat less likely to vote for those legislators, while 23% of respondents said it would not affect their vote.