Poll: Voters say legislators whiffed on rejecting free school meals
Broad support for both school choice and K-12 public schools
A sizeable majority of North Dakotans believe legislators got it wrong when they rejected two bills that would have fully funded school meals during the first half of the current legislative session, according to a new statewide poll.
A total of 70% of likely voters said rejecting the funding of school meals for all K-12 students was the wrong decision. Only 19% said it was the right decision, the latest North Dakota Poll found.
The state House of Representatives voted 54-39 against House Bill 1475 on Feb. 24, which would have diverted $140 million from the state’s general fund to pay for school breakfasts and lunches during the 2025-2027 biennium.
A separate bill, which would have paid for school meals from the state’s Legacy Fund, was defeated on Feb. 11, with a 75-14 vote against the bill. The Legacy Fund, funded by oil taxes and investment growth, now sits at over $11 billion.
A later bill, House Bill 1013, expanded eligibility for students qualifying for free lunches, meaning a family of four on an income of around $72,000 would qualify and parents would need to fill out applications to receive the benefit. The bill is now in the hands of the Senate.
The poll, commissioned by the North Dakota News Cooperative, was conducted between Feb. 27 and Mar. 2 as 69th Legislative Assembly broke for its crossover recess.
Strong support for both school choice and K-12 public schools
Poll data also shows likely voters strongly support school choice policies and the use of taxpayer dollars to support public, private and homeschooled kids. Total support was 64% with 31% opposing. Those strongly supporting school choice made up 43% of the respondents.
Those numbers are largely led by self-identified Republicans, with 80% of Republican respondents supporting school choice. A total of 60% of Independents also support school choice.
Among those opposing school choice, 60% of Democrat respondents were against the policy.
Of those participating in the poll, 48% identified as Republican, 20% as Democrat and 30% as Independent.
Legislators have debated several proposals for creating Education Savings Accounts at the current legislative session, with Senate Bill 2400 advancing to the House of Representatives by a 25-22 vote on Feb. 21.
The bill would provide all K-12 students with $500 to go toward things like private school expenses, textbook costs and camps, and covers public, private and homeschooled students. Private school students qualifying based on income limits of their parents could tap into up to $3,500.
Overall support for the K-12 public school system in the state also appears strong.
Asked if they approve or disapprove of the job their K-12 public education system is doing in their community, 58% voiced their approval, with 25% disapproving.
A total of 77% of Democrats approved of the job K-12 public schools are doing, followed by 56% of Republicans and 50% of Independents.
The North Dakota Poll, conducted by leading polling firm WPA Intelligence, surveyed 500 eligible and likely voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%.
The poll surveyed roughly equal numbers of men and women, as well as equally from the eastern and western halves of the state.
The North Dakota News Cooperative is a nonprofit news organization providing reliable and independent reporting on issues and events that impact the lives of North Dakotans. The organization increases the public’s access to quality journalism and advances news literacy across the state. For more information about NDNC or to make a charitable contribution, please visit newscoopnd.org. Send comments, suggestions or tips to michael@newscoopnd.org. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDNewsCoop.
