New Poll: Texans Strongly Support Civics Education—But Say Schools Could Do More

A new survey from the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University finds broad, bipartisan support for civics education among Texas registered voters — but also reveals that many parents believe their local schools still have room to improve.

The poll of 1,706 registered voters, conducted April 22 through May 6, 2026 and representative of the Texas registered voter population, finds that 91% believe civics should be a required course in public schools, and 81% would support legislation requiring students to pass a civics test in order to graduate from high school. Support for these measures cuts across party lines, with large majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all in agreement.

Beyond course requirements, Texans also place high value on what civics education should accomplish. More than three-quarters of registered voters say it is very important for public schools to prepare students to be informed voters, to teach knowledge of the U.S. and Texas Constitutions, and to instill an understanding of the country's founding ideas such as individual liberty and equality.

Yet when parents of current K-12 students were asked to evaluate their own child's school, only 25% rated the quality of civics instruction as excellent — a gap between public expectation and on-the-ground reality that points to significant room for growth.

Read the full report here for complete results, detailed breakdowns by race, gender, generation, education, and geography, and data on Texans' views on state spending for civics education.