Baltimore City Public Schools lead Maryland in chronic absenteeism. That’s not new. Traditionally, poverty and housing instability are considered the top predictors for school absences and Baltimore has both in abundance. Throw in community violence and trauma, potentially undiagnosed disabilities, social and peer challenges, lack of access to technology at home (and many other factors far beyond the control of educators) and one gets some sense of the massive scale of the problem.

None of that is to give teachers, counselors, administrators or any other public school staff a hall pass. All need to be focused on how best to get kids in school. We are no longer in the throes of a pandemic. And dropouts are inevitably a problem for the community at large and not just for those individuals. But it’s disappointing to hear that some in Annapolis are once again thinking that chronic absenteeism would somehow be solved by reducing state aid to city schools. Their well-worn theory is that if students aren’t showing up for class, cut per-pupil funding — and presumably get the attention of school system bureaucrats.

That kind of thinking may sound like a savings for taxpayers, but giving up on students only increases future obligations heaped on government. You know what really costs a lot of tax dollars? Delinquency. If students are missing from school, more needs to be spent on getting them back — engaging with families, identifying the root causes of absenteeism, making sure schools are welcoming safe spaces and meeting the needs of students. None of that means spending less money, it requires allocating resources more wisely, perhaps.

Here’s another reality check. This can’t be a problem for school administrators alone. Everyone needs to do their part to improve school attendance. Mayor Brandon Scott has the right idea with his “Mayor’s Attendance Challenge,” handing out an award to schools that show year-to-year improvements in attendance. It’s a relatively small thing perhaps but it sends the right message. Other community leaders should take up the cause. All of us, in big ways and small, need to make it clear that Baltimore places a high value on learning.

Public schools will never be in a position to cure all of society’s ills. But they often represent our best hope for a better future if we have accountability — not just from individual schools or even districts, but from parents, community leaders, elected officials and all who can make a difference in a young person’s life.