O-SenseMost Idahoans like the idea of having 60 percent of adults holding a post-high-school education degree or certificate, but most also don’t believe the state can reach that goal by the 2020 deadline, a new Idaho Politics Weekly poll shows.
The Idaho State Board of Education has set that high bar: 60 percent of 23-34-year-old residents having a postsecondary degree, certificate or another credential in four more years.
But pollster Dan Jones & Associates finds adults don’t see that goal being met by that date.
Jones finds:
- 62 percent of adults like the idea of a higher-educated Idaho populace between ages 25 and 34.
- But 68 percent don’t think state education officials can reach that goal by the end of 2020 – the date set.
The age group most affected by this decision – those who are between 18 and 29 years old now, and will top out at 34 by the deadline in 2020, are really more skeptical.
Among that age group, Jones finds:
- 69 percent like the idea of the higher educated challenge.
- But 71 percent say it won’t be met by the 2020 deadline.
Responses to another question indicate that Idahoans slightly prefer bus service to streetcar service as a public transit circulator system in Boise. City leaders have been suggesting that such a circulator system is needed to reduce congestion and improve public transit.
Here is the question asked: “A public transit circulator is a closed loop transit system with regular service, typically about 3 miles long. If Boise were to construct such a system, would you prefer a bus system or a streetcar system?”
Some 40 percent of respondents said they prefer a bus system, compared to 33 percent who liked a streetcar system. Some 27 percent were undecided. In the Ada County region, the number who prefer bus over streetcar is higher, 45 percent to 35 percent, with the rest undecided.
Jones polled 603 adults from May 18 to June 4. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.99 percent.
