Gallup poll: US school satisfaction falls to record-low 32%
A new Gallup/Walton Family Foundation poll finds only 32% of American adults are satisfied with K-12 education quality, an 11-point drop over two years and the lowest mark in 27 years of polling. Dissatisfaction has climbed to 67%, with Democrats showing the steepest decline—about 19 points since Trump's second term began—while independents and Republicans also reported smaller drops.
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The sharp partisan split suggests confidence in public schools is increasingly tied to national politics rather than local classroom experience, which could complicate efforts to fix real problems like learning gaps and job readiness. Experts warn that eroding trust, combined with federal moves to cut the Education Department and expand private-school funding, could accelerate structural changes to how American education is organized and financed.
- Only 32% of Americans are satisfied with K-12 education, a record low in 27 years of Gallup polling.
- Democrats' satisfaction fell about 19 points since 2025, far more than Republicans' 6-point drop.
- Experts link the decline to political battles over curriculum, DEI programs, and the push to dismantle the Education Department.
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Published there as: “How Americans are feeling about the quality of a U.S. education, according to this new Gallup poll”
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