New poll finds growing favorability; lawmakers urged to pass SB 414 to protect families and classrooms
SACRAMENTO, CA — A new statewide public opinion poll released today finds that California voters overwhelmingly support charter public schools — clear evidence lawmakers should act now to pass Senate Bill 414, a commonsense measure that strengthens accountability while protecting students and taxpayer dollars.
The survey shows 65% of registered California voters support charter schools, an increase of eight percentage points since a similar poll in 2023. Both polls were commissioned by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), the state’s largest charter membership organization.
The survey also found that 74% of voters are familiar with charter schools, and a majority (53%) say their opinion has remained consistently positive over the past several years — despite ongoing political attacks such as Assembly Bill 84 and Senate Bill 494.
“AB 84 and SB 494 undermine the progress and promise of charter public schools — directly opposing what California voters believe and want,” said Myrna Castrejón, president and CEO of CCSA. “These survey results show that families know and value their charter public schools. Voters are looking for solutions that root out bad actors without punishing good schools. SB 414 delivers exactly that — stronger financial safeguards and oversight, while ensuring families can continue to choose the high-quality public schools that best meet their children’s needs.”
CCSA has been on the frontlines supporting SB 414 along with partner organizations the Charter School Development Center (CSDC) and the Association of Personalized Learning Schools & Services (APlus+). Authored by Senator Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento), the bill boosts accountability and safeguards taxpayer dollars in all public schools — including charter schools that serve students through flexible, nontraditional models. Rather than piling on red tape, SB 414 focuses on practical reforms that stop fraud and waste while ensuring education dollars stay in the classroom.
The bill incorporates 58 recommendations from independent state watchdogs and includes immediate, common-sense steps such as:
- Tougher audits and stronger financial checks to catch problems early.
- Early-warning systems that flag issues before they spiral.
- New transparency rules requiring disclosure of contracts and potential conflicts of interest.
- Stricter oversight of contractors and vendors, including background checks and fingerprinting.
- Greater responsibility for authorizers, including expenditure and audit reviews, and enrollment verification.
- The establishment of a new Office of Inspector General to root out fraud and waste across the education system.
- Implementation of State Auditor recommendations on student work and grade-level instruction.
“Together, these reforms close loopholes for bad actors, restore trust in the system, and ensure more dollars go directly to students and teachers — not bureaucracy or abuse,” Castrejón said.
For more information on SB 414, visit the Protect Our Charter Public Schools Action Center. For details on the Probolsky Research survey, contact Ana Tintocalis, CCSA Managing Director of Public Relations & Creative Services, at [email protected].
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About the California Charter Schools Association
The vision of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) is to build great public schools of joy and rigor that prepare all California students for success in college, career, community, and life. The mission of CCSA is to meet parent, educator, and community need for great public school options by supporting and advocating for high quality non-profit charter schools and sharing their success throughout California’s public schools. Learn more.