Relevant questions for the Altoona Area School District at this time are questions that never should have to be asked.

However, the number of students qualifying for “chronically absent” status make the asking of those questions important.

It should not take top school officials very long to compile the answers, to enlighten residents about that with which their school leadership has been — and is — dealing on the attendance front on a daily basis.

It is reasonable to suggest that many residents are shocked, puzzled and troubled already, based on attendance information in a Sept. 4 Mirror article.

Those reactions could multiply in scope if the answers to questions raised in this editorial are forthcoming in a spirit of transparency and, in general, the public’s right to know.

The situation is not something about which to be proud, but to correct a problem, the first task is to understand, as much as possible, what it entails.

“Superintendent Brad Hatch said 1,595 students — or 22% of the district’s student population — were ‘chronically absent’ during the 2023-24 school year, missing more than 18 days of instruction,” the Sept. 4 article reported.

Hatch voiced the comment during the school board’s committee of the whole meeting on Sept. 3. The Sept. 4 article reported that the administration’s goal for the current school year is to get at least 160 students — or 10% of those chronically absent last year –back in school.

It is reasonable to question whether that goal is aggressive enough — and whether mediocre aggressiveness might be part of the reason why the problem continues to exist. However, it must be acknowledged that operating a school district of Altoona Area’s size limits the amount of time available to pursue young people not committed to taking advantage of the many learning opportunities available to them.

A good approach to attacking the problem is by examining basic questions relevant to the issue, such as:

– How long has the district been experiencing the absentee problem of or about its current scope?

– Why didn’t the school district respond more aggressively to the problem more quickly, rather than waiting until now?

– What have been identified as the possible main causes of the chronic absenteeism rate?

– If state subsidy money is doled out on the basis of school attendance, how much has the Altoona Area School District lost because of the excessive absenteeism that persists?

– Why is there such a lapse in the school spirit that helps contribute to healthy attendance?

– Why aren’t the availability of modern schools and up-to-date learning opportunities here doing more to discourage absenteeism?

– Is there really enough attention being focused on the ramifications of failing to get a good education, such as limited job opportunities and, eventually, fewer promotion opportunities?

– What can the state Department of Education and Legislature be doing to help school districts address their chronic absenteeism?

– In particular, how much are bullying, fear of in-school violence and broken homes responsible for the chronic absenteeism that exists?

Hatch said the district’s challenge is to make students feel like school officials want them to attend school and succeed.

Why isn’t that a Day One point of emphasis, rather than something in need of repeating along the way?

It is troubling that something so basic as absenteeism has gotten so out of control and perplexing.