Poll Shows Illinois Latinos Widely Support School Choice Programs

This morning, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, will gather with other national school choice allies to host a roundtable discussion on the results of a statewide poll school choice, which was released Tuesday. The poll showed that many Latino parents in Illinois support expanding educational options in the state.

“This poll proves that Hispanics in Illinois are not satisfied with the status quo,” said Rebeca Nieves-Huffman, President of Hispanic CREO. “They want the most opportunities to provide their children with the best education possible. These parents need more educational options for their children.”

The poll revealed that 52% of Hispanics were in favor of parents using public funds to send their children to private school. The poll also revealed that 53% of participants would be in favor of instituting Corporate Tax Credit scholarships, which would use corporate donations to provide students with scholarships to attend private school.

In 2006, only 54% of Hispanic students in Illinois graduated from high school, compared with 85% of White students, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education, which tracks high school graduation rates across the country.

The discussion roundtable will be held this morning at 11:30 AM in the 8th Floor Club of the Chicago Symphony Center, 220 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Hispanic CREO’s previous research has shown that Latino parents are widely in favor of school choice. A recent national poll, conducted in collaboration with the Alliance for School Choice, demonstrated that 75% of Latino parents would be interested in using vouchers to send their children to private school. The poll also revealed that 82% of Hispanic voters considered education to be a top priority for the 2008 presidential elections.

ABOUT HISPANIC CREO
Hispanic CREO is the only organization in the United States committed to improving the educational outcomes of Latino children by empowering parents through school choice. More information about the organization can be found at www.hcreo.org. “*

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