SAN FRANCISCO, April 17, 2025-Less than half of Californians say the state's K-12 public education system is headed in the right direction. Views are split on how Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Legislature, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond are handling K-12 education. Strong majorities oppose President Donald Trump's executive order to close down the US Department of Education. Most are concerned about increased federal immigration enforcement activities in schools, and most favor their local school district becoming a sanctuary "safe zone." These are among the key findings from a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Forty-five percent of Californians think the state's K-12 public education system is generally going in the right direction today. The share holding this view is similar to a year ago (47% in April 2024) but notably smaller than in April 2022 (57%). Today, 46 percent of likely voters say the state's K-12 public education system is headed in the right direction; 56 percent of public school parents hold this view.

Fifty percent of Californians think the state's K-12 public education system is in need of major changes; 40 percent say minor changes are needed, and 7 percent say the system is fine as is. A similar share of likely voters (51%) say major changes are needed, and 44 percent of public school parents hold this view. Around half of adults (49%) and likely voters (52%) say that the quality of education in the state's K-12 public schools has gotten worse over the past few years, while 41 percent of public school parents say this. Ten percent of adults, 9 percent of likely voters, and 18 percent of public school parents say public schools have improved in the past few years.

"Forty-five percent of Californians think that the state's K-12 public education system is headed in the right direction," said Mark Baldassare, PPIC Statewide Survey director and Miller Chair in Public Policy. "Half of adults believe that major changes are needed in the state's K-12 system and that the quality of education in the state's K-12 public schools has gotten worse in the past few years."

The new statewide survey also finds:

• Views are split on how state leaders are handling K-12 education. Fifty percent of adults (and 51% of likely voters) approve of the way Governor Newsom is handling the state's K-12 public education system. Similar shares approve of how the California Legislature (48% adults, 48% likely voters) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thurmond (47% adults, 47% likely voters) are handling K-12 education. More than half of public school parents approve of the way Newsom (58%), the state legislature (56%), and Thurmond (59%) are handling K-12 education.

  "About half of Californians approve of the way that Governor Newsom, the state legislature, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond are handling the state's K-12 public education system," Baldassare said.

• Most Californians oppose closing the US Department of Education, with a wide partisan divide on this issue. Strong majorities of adults (71%), likely voters (69%), and public school parents (74%) are opposed to President Trump's recent executive order to close the US Department of Education. This includes strong majorities across regions (80% San Francisco Bay Area, 72% Los Angeles, 70% Orange/San Diego, 66% Central Valley, 66% Inland Empire). Partisans are sharply divided, with Democrats (91%) and independents (72%) far more likely than Republicans (31%) to oppose closing the department.

  "Seventy-one percent of California adults and 74 percent of public school parents are opposed to the executive order by President Trump to close down the US Department of Education," Baldassare said. "Partisans are divided on this issue."

• Most Californians are concerned about increased immigration enforcement in schools and favor their local district being a sanctuary "safe zone." Asked how concerned they are about the impact of increased federal immigration enforcement efforts on undocumented students in local public schools and their families, solid majorities of adults (66%), likely voters (64%), and public school parents (74%) are very or somewhat concerned. This includes solid majorities across regions (71% Los Angeles, 70% San Francisco Bay Area, 66% Inland Empire, 63% Central Valley, 63% Orange/San Diego).

  Asked about the prospect of their local school district designating itself a sanctuary "safe zone"-an indication it will protect undocumented students and their families from federal immigration enforcement efforts-solid majorities of adults (63%) and public school parents (72%) are in favor. This includes majorities across regions (69% San Francisco Bay Area, 67% Los Angeles, 62% Central Valley, 57% Inland Empire, 56% Orange/San Diego).

  "Sixty-six percent of adults and 74 percent of public school parents are very or somewhat concerned about the impact of increased federal immigration enforcement efforts on undocumented students in their local public schools," Baldassare said. "Majorities are in favor of their local school district designating itself as a sanctuary 'safe zone.'"

• Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth. Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement.
• Most Californians, including public school parents, say their local schools are doing a good job in key areas of student preparation. Majorities of Californians think their local public schools are doing either an excellent or a good job of preparing students for college (excellent 9%, good 56%), for jobs and the workforce (excellent 6%, good 48%), and for being engaged citizens (excellent 6%, good 49%). Among public school parents, strong majorities think local schools are doing well in preparation for college (11% excellent, 64% good), for jobs and the workforce (10% excellent, 56% good), and for being engaged citizens (12% excellent, 58% good).

  "Majorities of Californians and public school parents say that their local public schools are doing an excellent or good job in preparing students for college, for jobs and the workforce, and for being engaged citizens," Baldassare said.

• Nearly half of Californians say the level of state funding for public schools is not enough, while solid majorities worry about how declining enrollment will affect local schools' funding. Forty-eight percent of adults (and 47% of likely voters) think the current level of state funding for their local public schools is not enough; 13 percent (16% likely voters) say it is more than enough and 34 percent (33% likely voters) say it is just enough. Among public school parents, 9 percent say state funding for local schools is more than enough, 40 percent say it is just enough, and 50 percent say it is not enough. Solid majorities of adults (22% very concerned, 39% somewhat concerned), likely voters (24% very concerned, 37% somewhat concerned), and public school parents (26% very concerned, 42% somewhat concerned) worry about declining enrollment affecting funding for local public schools.

  "Forty-eight percent of adults think that there is not enough state funding for their local public schools," Baldassare said. "About six in ten are concerned about declining student enrollment affecting their local public schools' funding."

About the Survey

The Californians and Education survey is supported with funding from the Arjay R. and Frances F. Miller Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, and the Windy Hill Fund.

The findings are based on responses from 1,591 California adult residents. The sampling error is ±3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level for the total unweighted sample and ±3.6 percent for the 1,094 likely voters. Interviewing took place from March 27-April 4, 2025. For more information, please see the methodology section in the full survey report.

Mark Baldassare is statewide survey director at PPIC, where he holds the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Public Policy. He is founder of the PPIC Statewide Survey, which he has directed since 1998.

The Public Policy Institute of California is dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. We are a public charity. We do not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor do we endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office. Research publications reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or of the staff, officers, advisory councils, or board of directors of the Public Policy Institute of California.