More than two-thirds of the respondents - 68 percent - agreed that "separation of church and state is a key principle of our Constitution," although 49 percent also want to see "religion have more influence" on education. Only 21 percent said religion should have less influence in public schools.

The research arm of the Texas Freedom Network, a liberal-leaning group that monitors the board, commissioned the poll.

The poll surveyed 972 likely voters and was conducted by Washington-based Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. It had a margin of error of plus- or minus-4 percentage points.

"People are actually quite practical. They want the best education for their kids," said Anna Greenberg, senior vice president of the polling company. "They are less guided by ideology than what we might assume. They are guided by very practical concerns for their kids having the kind of education that prepares them to be successful in the future."

Other poll highlights:

88 percent of the respondents believe public schools should be required "to protect all children from bullying, harassment and discrimination in school, including the children of gay and lesbian parents or teenagers who are gay."

55 percent oppose using publicly funded vouchers that allow some students to attend private and religious schools.

72 percent want teachers and scholars to be responsible for writing curriculum standards for schools, not the elected Board of Education.

Initially, 32 percent of the respondents opposed the State Board's revisions to Texas' social studies curriculum standards. The opposition climbed to 57 percent after the process was described.

The 15-member board has triggered controversy in recent years by making substantial changes - criticized as driven by the board majority's adherence to conservative ideology - to expert recommendations in the development of new curriculum standards for science and social studies.

Loudest critics

Among the loudest of those critics has been the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, a nonpartisan research organization focused on public education, religious freedom and civil liberties.

"Texans want a cease-fire in the divisive 'culture war' battles that have dominated education issues in our state and think what our schoolchildren learn should be based on the knowledge and expertise of teachers and scholars, not the personal agendas of politicians on the State Board of Education," said Kathy Miller, the fund's president.

The poll findings did not impress the Liberty Institute, which stands on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

Conservatives' view

"Since the Texas Freedom Network takes anti-religious freedom and pro-abortion positions and constantly attacks abstinence education, the results of their survey of 900 people are no surprise and are routinely rejected by our elected officials and common sense values of Texas," said Jonathan Saenz, legislative director and attorney for the Liberty Institute.

"If public school curriculum were left to Texas Freedom Network and their hand-picked list of academics and bureaucrats, we would have censorship in our science classroom and Christmas and Rosh Hashanah would have been cut out of our social studies teaching, while other religious holidays are taught," Saenz said.

gscharrer@express-news.net