Emily Pennington, an 18-year-old West High student with special needs, was told recently that she is ineligible to graduate because she will “age out” before her graduation date. This “age out” policy is one that was adopted by School District 2 (SD2), Policy No. 2050.
Yellowstone County News tried to contact Superintendent Greg Upham about the issue, but he did not respond as of press time today. According to KTVQ, Upham stated that this issue is “not just about an individual student. This decision has major ripple effects.” Upham also sent a letter to Pennington’s parents that listed all of the reasons regarding why Pennington would not be allowed to graduate. One such reason cited in this letter was lack of funding.
On the contrary, Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) told us that several avenues are available to fund this kind of situation. Brian O’Leary, Communication Director for OPI, told YCN that in addition to state funding for special needs students over 18 to continue their education, “there are also federal dollars that are allocated to districts for special needs students aged 3-21.” O’Leary further stated that the school could possibly use the COVID relief funding to support Pennington and her need for extended time to graduate.
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