The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama released its latest edition of the Public Opinion Survey Wednesday (Sept. 16), alongside the launch of a dedicated Education Research Center aimed at expanding PARCA’s research on issues facing Alabama schools and policymakers.
The 2026 survey’s findings portray a public that is supportive of public schools and additional investment in them, while taking a more cautious view of directing public dollars to private education. At the same time, respondents appear open to school choice so long as public funding brings expectations for accountability.
Broader support?
The broader support for public education shows up in how respondents ranked the state’s priorities.
The survey shows respondents again ranked education as their top priority, with healthcare coming in a close second. For the first time since PARCA began asking the question in 2014, education did not lead outright. Forty percent ranked healthcare first and 39% ranked education first, a difference PARCA said was not statistically significant.
Public safety and highways carried spots three and four of the major areas of state government that respondents were asked to rank.
PARCA also surveyed respondents in other education-related areas, including state budget priorities, how education is funded, school choice and accountability, and who should make decisions about education.
As in previous years, the majority of Alabamians believe the state spends too little on education, and while two-thirds of respondents say they would pay more taxes to fund education, there is no agreement on which type of tax – income, property, sales or online sales tax – residents would be willing to pay.
The strongest agreement on spending was at the beginning of the education pipeline. Large majorities said too little is spent on early childhood education and public K-12 schools, while views became increasingly mixed for community colleges and four-year universities. A 42% plurality said too much is being spent on private-school vouchers.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Trisha Powell Crain and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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