UCI

Half (50%) now give their local public schools excellent or good ratings, while 28 percent say they are fair, 12 percent rate them as poor and 10 percent have no opinion. Compared to a year ago, school ratings have improved by eight points (42 to 50%). Looking back to the 1991 survey, the ratings have increased by 22 points (28% to 50%). This year had the most positive evaluations of local public schools since we began asking this question in the 1982 survey.

Parents with children in the local public schools are even more likely than others to give the schools excellent or good ratings (60% to 46%).

Schools are also more likely to draw excellent or good ratings in the South County than elsewhere (60% to 45%). Latinos are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have positive evaluations of their schools (41% to 51%). There are no differences by age, income, political party or voter registration.

When asked about a possible tax hike for their local public schools, 44 percent say they would be in favor, while 50 percent would be opposed. In last year's survey, 50 percent said they would be in favor of a tax increase. In a 1988 survey, the only other time this question was asked, 42 percent said they would vote for a tax increase if their schools said they needed it.

Those with children in the public schools favor a tax increase by only a slight majority (51% to 44%). Republicans are strongly opposed to a tax hike (36% to 60%), while Democrats are strongly in favor (59% to 37%). Residents under 35 narrowly favor a tax increase (51% to 45%), while older residents are opposed (40% to 53%). There are no significant differences by ethnicity, income or region. In all demographic groups, support falls short of the two-thirds vote needed to pass a local tax increase.

Orange County residents also seem unwilling to change the Proposition 13 restrictions placed on passing local school taxes and local school bonds from the two-thirds "super-majority" to a simple majority of 50 percent. Thirty-seven percent are in favor of allowing a simple majority to pass local school taxes, while 56 percent are opposed. Forty-three percent favor allowing a simple majority to pass school bonds, and 49 percent are opposed.

Even parents of children in local public schools oppose raising school taxes with a simple majority (41% to 53%), although they narrowly favor a simple majority for passing school bonds (48% to 44%). Democrats are divided over a simple majority for school taxes (46% to 49%) and school bonds (49% to 45%), while Republicans are strongly opposed to ending the two-thirds vote restriction on school taxes (33% to 63%) and school bonds (38% to 58%).
Graph: Local Tax Increases for Public Schools

Fewer than half in any age, region or income group favor loosening the restrictions on raising taxes and passing school bonds. As for ethnic differences, Latinos (56% to 35%) are more likely to support a simple majority for school bonds than are non-Hispanic whites (40% to 54%), however, their views are similar on the simple majority for school taxes.