Welcome to back-to-school season: 84% of the 25 largest public school districts in the country have decided not to reopen with any in-person instruction this fall.

Teachers unions across the country are fighting to keep public schools closed in the name of safety, and many teachers’ fears are genuine and understandable. Yet while they are advocating for building closures, private businesses, including daycares and private schools, are fighting to reopen. This divide highlights a major fault line in America: the vast gulf between the incentives guiding public vs. those guiding private establishments. After all, the major difference between these services is that one of them receives your money through property taxes regardless of how well their reopening decisions meet the needs of families.