Missouri Voter Opinions on Education: Results from the Spring 2026 SLU/YouGov Poll

Written By SLU PRiME

Abigail Medler, MPA and Lucas Koch

Since 2020, SLU has partnered with YouGov to poll Missouri likely voters on relevant political and education-related issues. In this brief, we dive into the results, focusing specifically on the education questions posed to voters in the Spring 2026 iteration of the survey.

Key Points:

  • Respondents consistently view public schools in their community as better than those across the state.

  • A majority of voters support DESE giving public schools and districts an annual A - F grade.

  • Voters overestimate the average starting salary of a public school teacher across the United States

  • A majority of voters consistently support allowing students to enroll in a public school district outside of the district where they live.

  • A majority of voters consistently support allowing charter schools to operate in all parts of the state.

  • Despite a small shift in support of a four-day school week, a plurality of voters oppose the change in their local public school district.

Download the brief

Please Cite As: Medler, A., Koch, L. (2026, April). Missouri voter opinions on education: Results from the Spring 2026 SLU/YouGov poll. Policy Research in Missouri Education, 8(5). Saint Louis University. https://www.primecenter.org/policy-brief-database/february-2026-poll

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