Situational, Socioeconomic and Ideological Determinants of Support for Public Education \ud Funding and Budgetary Management in Oregon

Graduation date: 2015The Oregon education system at both the K-12 and Postsecondary level is strained for resources, with funding at levels far below the national average. This is due, in large part, to the small percentage of state taxes that are used to fund education. Public support for additional revenue for schools is necessary to enact legislative changes to relieve the strained budgets of school districts and public universities. However, support for public funding of higher education is lacking, as evidenced by the failure of Oregon’s Measure 86 in 2014. Identifying the sociodemographic, ideological, and situational determinants of support, and the perceptions of Oregonians on the current state of Oregon’s education system will provide a better understanding of where support or opposition to education policies comes from. Using the data from the 2013 Oregon Policy Issues Survey (N=672 responses), support for education funding and perceptions of the current state of the educations system in Oregon was assessed at the K-12 and Postsecondary level. Differences between demographic groups were explored to develop a more complete understanding of public perception of the present state of the public education system in Oregon. Findings indicate that educational attainment and political ideology are significant predictors of support for additional educational funding at all levels. Additional predictors were identified in regard to higher education funding