School choice is favored — but only by Republicans, Democrats, Independents, liberals, conservatives, men, women, evangelicals, whites, blacks, and others

As state lawmakers consider providing scholarships for students with disabilities (such as Down syndrome or autism), new polling data show strong support for the idea. Likely Oklahoma voters favor school choice for special-needs kids by a margin of 55 percent to 39 percent.

A scientific telephone survey of 1,000 likely voters registered in Oklahoma was conducted February 25 through March 8, 2010 by SoonerPoll, the same firm that conducts the "Oklahoma Poll" for the Tulsa World. The poll, which was commissioned by OCPA, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

"A proposal has been made to allow special-needs students currently in public schools to enroll in private schools chosen by parents with government helping to pay the tuition. Would you support or oppose this proposal?"

• Strongly support ... 26.8 %
• Somewhat support ... 27.9 %
• Somewhat oppose ... 18.8 %
• Strongly oppose ... 20.5 %
• Don’t Know/Refused ... 6.0 %

In addition to being supported overall (55 percent support to 39 percent oppose), the idea polls well in every subcategory in the state:

• Republican ... 54 to 39
• Democrat ... 55 to 40
• Independent ... 57 to 39
• Men ... 54 to 40
• Women ... 55 to 38
• White ... 54 to 40
• Black ... 68 to 26
• Native American ... 49 to 38
• 1st Cong. Dist. ... 57 to 38
• 2nd Cong. Dist. ... 54 to 42
• 3rd Cong. Dist. ... 58 to 35
• 4th Cong. Dist. ... 54 to 41
• 5th Cong. Dist. ... 51 to 41
• Evangelical Christian ... 54 to 40
• Very Liberal ... 50 to 46
• Somewhat Liberal ... 57 to 40
• Moderate ... 59 to 35
• Somewhat Conservative ... 56 to 39
• Very Conservative ... 49 to 43