The National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education Teachers College has released a report discussing the impact school choice has on parents’ willingness to approve bonds and local tax increases.

The paper’s abstract says:


Do charter schools improve the odds for school districts seeking increased funding at the polls? If school choice increases parental satisfaction, and those parents who choose schools are among the most attentive to school district policies, then increasing school choice should increase the likelihood that they turn out to support a district?s request for more funds. (These voters would be more likely to turn out, too, given that few people vote in school referenda elections.)

This paper uses a logit analysis of school finance ballot measures for Wisconsin from 1998 to 2005. The analysis suggests that the presence of charter schools in a district does improve a district?s chances of gaining voter approval for finance issues.

You can download the entire paper here.