Title: P3 Debarment of Beyond Speech Therapy, LLC

Recommendation:

I recommend that the School Board approve the debarment of Beyond Speech Therapy, LLC and authorize the Chairman and Superintendent to sign all necessary documents.

Description:

P3  Approve the debarment of Beyond Speech Therapy, LLC for a period of three years in accordance with School Board Policy 6.14.  

·      In 2004, the School District was approached by the CEO of Beyond Speech Therapy, LLC, Michaelanne Roberts, regarding a web-based program for speech therapy which was to be paid for by a grant to be obtained by Ms. Roberts.    

·      On July 21, 2004, the School Board approved agenda item number 9b-3 entitled, Consider Approval of the Grant Application to Kid’s Link to Success to Fund the Project for Internet Based Speech and Language Based Activities Which Includes the Licensing Agreement Between Beyond Speech Therapy, LLC and The District.  Attached to that agenda item was a License Agreement between the Board and Beyond Speech.  Although the agenda item makes clear that the approval was of the grant application to fund the underlying License Agreement, the signed License Agreement does not reference the grant.

·      The grant was never obtained and no use was made of the database.  Some ten months after the approval Beyond Speech billed the District for the first time based upon the language in the License Agreement without consideration of the Board action.  The contract was then terminated for convenience.

·      It is our position that both the company and the individual should be debarred based on the two reasons listed below:

Financial Impact:
There is no financial impact to the District.

For Additional Information, contact:

Joseph M. Moore (moorej@palmbeach.k12.fl.us)

Russ Feldman