Webster Schools un-stage graduations

In response to a mother’s request for a ramp, school officials remove stages

When Abby Baskett began to prepare for her middle school graduation this year, she told her mother she wanted to go across the stage with her classmates.

So her mother, Sarah Humphrey, approached the school about the possibility.

Abby is one of two students in the middle school class of 2016 who is confined to a wheelchair. She has been a part of the class from day one, and Humphrey said her daughter wanted to graduate the same way as her friends.

But according to Humphrey, what started as a simple request turned into a mess.

“I never asked for special treatment,” Humphrey said. “I wanted inclusion, not an exception.”

Owens named Clay principal

When students return to Clay Elementary in the fall, they will have a new principal in the front office.

Susan Owens, who has been an instructional coach at Providence Elementary since 2014, will take over the school’s top position. Owens is both a former student and teacher at the school.

“I am excited to be going back to the school I attended and where I taught for twelve years,” said Owens. “Clay Elementary has a tremendous staff, and I am confident we can work together to create a culture of high expectations on behalf of student learning.”