EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – On Feb. 14, the school board approved designating an elementary classroom for autism students. Assistant Superintendent Heather Gross, who presented the proposal to the board at the Support Services Center, said the room could be at Elkhorn in Ray County or at Lewis in Excelsior Springs. “I don’t think that (decision) needs to be made right at this moment,” Gross told district leaders. The district must hire an instructor and a paraprofessional for the room, Gross said. “And they will need to be trained in … autism instruction and support,” she said. State special education funding will cover personnel costs, Gross said. Eventually, the district will explore creating autism rooms at the middle and high schools as elementary students progress through grade levels, Gross said. “We are not ready yet to open an autism room at those levels,” she said. The need resulted from issues district personnel encountered when placing special needs students in classrooms, Gross…