Lucía Matamoros
Lincoln––School's back in session for Nebraska’s kids, and according to a new survey out today, 87% of Cornhusker State parents say they're satisfied with the quality of schools their children attend.
According to the survey, conducted by 50CAN and released today by Navigate School Choice, 41% of moms and dads described themselves as “very satisfied,” while 34% said they were “somewhat satisfied.”
In addition, parents were more likely to say that their children were excelling at, and were performing above grade level, in reading (47%) than in math (44%).
Still, more than one in five (24%) Cornhusker State parents say that if they had a choice, they’d choose a different school for their child. And 32% of families in the state said they did not have a choice of where to send their child to school in the first place.
According to Shelby Doyle, vice president of Navigate School Choice, these results––high parent satisfaction but a desire for more options––might seem contradictory but reflect a national trend.
"We know that parents' education options are expanding in states across the country at a never-before-seen rate. Yet, even still, 32% of parents do not feel they have a real choice in where their child goes to school," said Shelby Doyle, vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "Whether they live in school choice deserts, lack access to timely and easy-to-understand information about their options, or face obstacles such as the practicalities of transportation and accommodation needs, we owe it to families to remain curious about the work that remains to turn education options into education solutions for them."
Nebraska parents who want to learn more about their school choice options can visit the newly-launched myschoolchoice.com, which provides comprehensive and jargon-free information about the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, home, and nontraditional education choices available in the Cornhusker State.
More information and resources for journalists can be found at https://50can.org/education-opportunity-survey/ and schoolchoiceawareness.org/school-choice-interview. Information about Navigate School Choice can be found at myschoolchoice.com.