To the editor:

As residents of this community, we all share a deep commitment to providing our children with the best education possible. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly concerning to see national political ideologies and party affiliations seeping into our local school committee elections. 

This trend undermines the real purpose of our schools: to nurture and educate our children, foster strong community bonds, and ensure that our town remains one of the most desirable places for families to call home in Rhode Island.

School committees should be focused solely on the educational needs of our students, the well-being of our teachers, and the continued improvement of our academic programs. Instead, we are seeing candidates backed by political parties, shifting the conversation from what is best for our children to divisive, partisan issues that belong outside our classrooms. The education of our kids and the quality of our schools should not be influenced by party politics or national conflicts. These distractions pull us away from what truly matters: raising academic standards, ensuring mental health support, and creating an inclusive learning environment for all students.

We must ask ourselves: why are political parties investing time and money in school committee elections? What do they hope to achieve, and at what cost to our community? Choosing school leaders should not be about red or blue agendas. It should be about electing individuals with the passion, knowledge, and experience to guide our schools in the right direction.

For the sake of our children, our neighborhoods, and the future of our community, we must return our focus to what matters most. Our school system has always been a point of pride—a reason families move here and homes retain their value. It is time to restore that excellence by electing candidates who prioritize education over politics, unity over division, and progress over partisanship.

This election season, I urge all voters to look beyond party affiliations and ask the right questions: Who has the best ideas for supporting our teachers? Who will help our children thrive academically and emotionally? Who is committed to truly listening and acting on behalf of community members when they plead for change or answers—instead of rolling their eyes and ignoring our emails? Our votes should be cast for those who want to serve our community—not any political party’s agenda.

Let’s work together to bring back a school system that reflects our shared values, prioritizes smart budgeting and financial tracking, engages and hears our teachers, and keeps our focus where it belongs: on our children’s future.

Sincerely,

Tim Twohig

Barrington