CFI presented five statements to parents of school-age students (those attending kindergarten through grade 12) and asked them whether they agreed, disagreed, or were neutral on each statement.
- I am concerned about my student(s) contracting COVID-19 while in school.
- Concerns about COVID-19 risks among school-age children are overblown.
- Masks should be required for anyone in the school building and on school transportation.
- COVID-19 rules and practices in the school are negatively impacting students’ education.
- Our school district has implemented appropriate safety measures to minimize COVID-19 risks.
While there was general agreement across the full responder population on all of the statements, we did see variation across different demographic and geographic segments. For instance, a wide majority (74 percent) agreed with the sentence: “I am concerned about my student(s) contracting COVID-19 while in school.” Agreement rates were the highest among high earners, urban dwellers, and those aged 36‒55 years. But all demographic groups had agreement rates well above 60 percent.
A key takeaway from the survey was that most parents (59.6 percent) felt COVID-19 rules and practices were negatively affecting their students’ education. This attitude has increased across almost all segments compared with the responses in October 2021. Despite concerns about education disruptions, a majority of parents expressed satisfaction with how their local school districts are facing the COVID-19 challenge. Nearly three out of four (74.4 percent) parents agreed with the statement: “Our school district has implemented appropriate safety measures to minimize COVID-19 risks.” All the demographic segments recorded agreement rates above 60 percent.
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