Altoona School District reviews policies following apparent suicide of young student

ALTOONA -- Hundreds of parents in the Altoona Area School District plan to address the school board Thursday night following the death of a seventh-grade student.

Altoona police said Wyatt Lansberry died last week from what appeared to be self-inflicted wounds.

Lt. Ben Jones said there is no sign of foul play, but the police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

His death has not yet been officially ruled a suicide, and it is still an active investigation.

Lansberry was in the seventh-grade at Altoona Area Junior High School, and hundreds of parents on Facebook said this week they think the school could have done more to prevent his death.

Parents created a Facebook event-page called, "Will You Take Time and Listen?"

The event page invites all Altoona Area School District parents to attend a school board meeting scheduled for Thursday night.

The page says the parents will be able to speak out about "unseen issues" within Altoona schools.

Posts on the page include individual accounts of bullying, problems with teachers and many other issues.

The school district's superintendent, Dr. Charles Prijatelj, addressed the families in a public statement Monday.

He expressed condolences for Lansberry's love ones, and said:

"As we mourn the loss of Wyatt, we respect the community's need to search for answers as to why. The district is fully cooperating with the Altoona Police Department and their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wyatt's death. In addition to the investigation, we will also be reviewing our policies and protocols related to students.

"Our primary concern is the emotional and physical well-being of all our children. We will continue to provide support and counseling for any student or staff member who may need assistance during this time."

The Facebook page says about 120 people plan to go, and nearly 400 are interested. The numbers continue to grow.

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