Utah voucher issue appears doomed

Voucher opponents have a strong majority of voters' support, according to a new poll.

Sixty percent of Utah voters say they would likely vote against a voucher program, according to a Dan Jones & Associates poll conducted for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV. In comparison, 34 percent said they would vote for vouchers, while 7 percent were undecided.

The poll of 409 Utahns was conducted last week and has a margin of error of 5 percent.

The voucher program, which was approved by the Legislature this past spring, would provide Utah families with a private-school tuition voucher, ranging from $500 to $3,000 per student, based on parents' income.

It also would appropriate $9.2 million for mitigation money to hold schools harmless for five years after a student leaves and goes to a private school.

The anti-voucher group Utahns for Public Schools sought a referendum last March that would allow the public to decide if it wants a voucher program in the state. The vote is slated for Nov. 6.

Voucher opponents said they would not be complacent because of the latest poll results.

"Of course I am delighted with those results, but until the actual results come in and the vote is taken, I will not stop working," said Kim Burningham, spokesman for Utahns for Public Schools.

"We are naturally pleased with those votes, but I am fully aware that a lot is planned by the opposition in the next few weeks, and we must do everything we can to make sure the message gets out to people that this will be harmful to public schools."

Voucher supporters, meanwhile, say they still have nearly a month to campaign and are confident they will gain the support needed to keep the controversial voucher law on the books.

"We're convinced that as parents begin to understand who is behind this and who supports it and the merit of the program itself, they are going to vote for this," said Leah Barker, spokeswoman for Parents for Choice in Education, a pro-voucher group.

In July, the Deseret Morning News reported on a similar poll that found that 57 percent of those surveyed would most likely vote against the voucher program and 36 percent said they would vote in favor of it.

That's not a huge difference from the latest numbers, and Barker said it shows that voucher opponents haven't gained much ground. Voucher supporters say they plan to continue what they have been doing — meeting with residents and spreading their message.

"As we gear up for the final sprint, we are hoping our message will resonate, because we are just sticking to the facts — we are providing citizens with valuable information to make an informed decision," Barker said.

As for the voucher opponents, Carmen Snow, former Utah PTA president and member of Utahns for Public Schools, said the coalition's latest effort is to encourage people to get out to the polls. Earlier this month, the group also sent out absentee ballots to voters.

"We are really confident — now if we can just get people out to vote — we are trying to make it as easy as possible for people to get to the polls," Snow said.

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E-mail: terickson@desnews.com