The opinion piece, “School Business,” that appeared on Oct. 17, pushing the idea that public schools are a business, is wrong. Public schools are an essential service for maintaining a thriving, united, educated democratic society. How can you put a price on that?

Our founding fathers, as far back as 1647, saw them as so necessary that most towns were eventually required by state constitutions to have a public school that would serve all citizens. The anonymous author of the opinion piece reduces this to simple bean-counting. They side with the wealthy and powerful who have been trying for decades to break our society into opposing factions. Breaking up the cultural bonding created by our public schools is just one more way to turn us against each other so that they can exploit us for their own profit. After all, if they can keep us divided and ignorant, we won’t be able to vote them out of power.

Jeffrey C. Dickler

Rindge