Billings family reflects on school aging-out policy, two years later

Two years ago, Emily Pennington crossed the stage at her Billings West High School graduation, a moment her mother Jana Pennington described as incredibly exciting despite the challenges her daughter faced.

She's accomplished something with difficulties that other kids have not had to deal with, you know, physical and academic, Pennington said in an interview this week.

Emily, now 22, continues to stay active in the Billings community, volunteering at a preschool.

Watch Jana talk about the Emily's journey:

The path taken by Emily, who has special needs, to graduate wasnt without obstacles.

The Billings community watched as Emilys mission to graduate was temporarily placed on hold due to a district aging-out policy that would have prevented her from completing high school.

The distric