A new statewide public opinion poll finds that California voters overwhelmingly support charter public schools — clear evidence that charters remain vital, valuable, and worth protecting in the state’s K–12 public education system.

According to the poll, 65% of registered California voters support charter schools — an eight-point increase since a similar survey in 2023.

In addition to this record-high support, voter familiarity with charter schools has also grown. Seventy-four percent of voters now say they are familiar with charter schools — up from 69% in 2020, when respondents said they knew “quite a bit” or “some” about the charter public school model.

Since their inception in 1992, charter leaders and supporters have had to both raise awareness of how the model works and debunk persistent myths spread by anti-charter groups or misinformed media coverage. More than 30 years later, that work is paying off.

During the pandemic, families witnessed firsthand the flexibility, innovation, and rapid response of charter public schools. Many enrolled their children in charters that pivoted quickly to distance learning, leveraged technology, and provided asynchronous instruction to keep students learning when other systems lagged behind.

And now, even amid ongoing political attacks in Sacramento and within certain school districts, the public’s trust remains strong: 53% of California voters say their opinion of charter schools has remained consistently positive over the past several years.

Momentum and Victories Across California

The polling results come on the heels of several major victories for California’s charter school movement — proof that advocacy, unity, and persistence are making a measurable difference.

The Right Kind of Charter Reform

In one of the most consequential legislative sessions in recent memory, lawmakers introduced two of the most dangerous anti-charter proposals in years: Assembly Bill 84 (Muratsuchi) and Senate Bill 494 (Cortese). AB 84 was particularly severe, proposing a 30% funding cut for flex-based schools — a devastating $700 million blow.

But California’s charter public school community achieved something extraordinary.
Not only did advocates defeat AB 84 and SB 494, they also championed and secured passage of Senate Bill 414 (Ashby) — a proactive measure with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill cleared the Assembly 55–3 and now heads to the Governor’s desk. [Read more here.]

A Majority Victory for Charters in LAUSD

Earlier this summer, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that a policy adopted by the Los Angeles Unified School District unlawfully denied charter public school students access to hundreds of district campuses — violating their rights under Proposition 39.

The ruling followed a legal challenge by CCSA to the district’s 2024 policy, which had blocked charter co-locations at more than 300 campuses. The court found that the policy undermined Proposition 39 — a law guaranteeing equitable facilities access for all public school students, regardless of the type of public school they attend. The decision protects thousands of families, particularly those in historically underserved communities that charter public schools proudly serve

These victories remind us that when educators, families, and communities come together, powerful change is possible. Charter public schools aren’t just an alternative — they’re a vital part of California’s public education future, grounded in innovation, opportunity, and the belief that every child deserves a great school.