City school board OKs grant application for additional ‘Snoezelen’ room

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Lance Boston, the district’s special education coordinator, answers questions from the Bardstown Board of Education about a grant for funds to create another Snoezelen room in the middle school.

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 — On Tuesday the Bardstown Independent Board of Education approved an application for a grant from the WHAS Crusade for Children that will be used to create a multi-sensory “Snoezelen” room designed for children with Autism or other learning disability who may benefit from a change of environment.

Lance Boston, the district’s director of special education, told the board the specially equipped rooms help relieve anxiety, promote relaxation, increase alertness and reduce unwanted behaviors. There are two Snoezelen rooms now in the district, Boston said, one in the primary school and a second in the high school.

The new Snoezelen room will be in the elementary school near the catwalk with the middle school. The space will be shared with students in the elementary and middle schools.

TEMPLIN PROPERTY LEASE. The board approved an agreement to lease the former Salt River Electric warehouse on Templin avenue. The space will give the district baseball and softball teams indoor space to practice pitching and batting, Superintendent Brent Hosclaw told the board.

The warehouse space has a dressing room and restroom available, and will allow students to practice year round.

In other action, the board:

— approved a contract for a substitute licensed clinical social worker;

— approved the membership of the 2015-2018 district local planning committee;

— entered into closed session for the superintendent’s evaluation.

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