The Cato Institute has this write-up on recent national polling from Education Next on various education issues. The poll included a specific question on education tax credits, an idea which the Rio Grande Foundation has been discussing for several years. Past polling data from New Mexico has shown overwhelming support (62 percent) for school choice tax credits, but that has not resulted in much momentum in Santa Fe.
Interestingly, according to the breakdowns presented below, while school choice tax credits receive 50% support among nearly all groups except for teachers and whites of lower education levels, the policy gains its strongest support among Hispanics. With a majority of New Mexico’s K-12 population classified as Hispanic, it would seem that such policy reforms would generate a fair amount of support in the Legislature.
Unfortunately, Gov. Martinez never made school choice tax credits a top priority and Democrats in the Legislature remained united in opposition to them with few political consequences.
