Mariana Dale/KJZZ

Arizona has a teacher shortage, and the K-12 system is chronically underfunded, even with recent increases put into effect by lawmakers and the governor.

One under-discussed challenge, however, is absenteeism and how a significant percentage of students simply don’t end up showing up for school. 

Businesswoman Rhonda Cagle wrote an op-ed for The Arizona Republic that raises awareness of chronic absenteeism and highlights what some schools are doing to counter it. She joined The Show to talk about her piece.

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