FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools (RILCPS or “the League”) today released new statewide polling results highlighting Rhode Islanders’ views on public education, including strong perspectives on charter public schools. The poll was conducted by Expedition Strategies and sampled 800 likely general election voters across the state.
Key Findings:
- A majority of Rhode Island voters – across political affiliations – support expanding access to charter public schools and oppose a moratorium.
- Support is even stronger among K-12 parents, and nearly universal among Latino voters and Latino parents.
- Voters consistently indicate that families should be able to choose the public school that is the right fit for their child.
“These findings reinforce what we hear from families across Rhode Island: parents want more high-quality public school options, including charter public schools,” said Chiara Deltito-Sharrott, Executive Director of RILCPS. “We hope policymakers take a moment to reflect on what their constituents are saying and ground education decisions in this data.”
Nearly 90% (88%) agree that it is good when families can decide what type of public school (district public school, charter public school, or career and technical education school) meets their child’s needs best, with 6 in 10 strongly agreeing. Nearly 4 in 5 voters (78%) support giving more children in Rhode Island access to charter public schools, including 42% who strongly support giving children more access after being given a brief description of how charter public schools work in the state and how many students they serve.
Two-in-three (67%) voters support the expansion of charter public schools, including 64% of likely Democratic primary voters. Hispanic voters hold the most intense views in support of expanding charter public schools, with 56% strongly supporting expansion and 77% supporting expansion overall. Among Hispanic K-12 parents, 80% support expansion of charter public schools.
Six-in-ten (58%) voters oppose moratorium legislation that would stop the opening of charter public schools for a number of years, while only four-in-ten (42%) support such legislation. Opposition is higher among K-12 parents, and a majority (55%) of Democratic primary voters oppose moratorium legislation.
“This poll was designed to give a clear, data-driven picture of how Rhode Islanders are thinking about public education today, especially when it comes to educational opportunities for students,” said Pete Brodnitz, managing director at Expedition Strategies. “We wanted to move beyond assumptions and capture where voters actually stand.”
Read more about the poll here:
About the Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools
Founded in 2001, the Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools (RILCPS or “the League”) is a 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to ensuring that Rhode Island students and families have access to high-quality public schools. As the leading voice of the state’s charter public schools, the League supports its members through collaboration, resource-sharing, technical assistance, and advocacy on behalf of students and families statewide.
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Media Contact (For RILCPS)
Lynzi DeLuccia, Half Street Group
401.787.8666 | lynzi@halfstreetgroup.com