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Board approves contract with Sidekick Therapy Partners to cover speech‑language vacancies through July
Summary
The board approved a pay‑per‑use contract with Deborah L. Curley/Sidekick Therapy Partners to provide speech‑language pathology services to cover vacancies and meet Individualized Education Program (IEP) obligations; the contract has no standing maintenance fee and can be used for summer coverage through July.
The Johnson County Board of Education approved a contract to secure speech‑language pathology (SLP) services from Deborah L. Curley, Communications Consultant LLC, d/b/a Sidekick Therapy Partners, to cover current staff shortages.
District administrators explained the contract is intended to fill an immediate gap: finding and retaining full‑time licensed SLPs and SLP assistants has been difficult, and when those clinicians are available they often take higher‑paying positions in medical settings. Administrators said the contract will allow the district to meet its legal requirements for IEP services.
According to staff, the contract carries no recurring maintenance fee; the district will pay for services only as they are used. The board discussed using the contract as emergency fallback coverage if the district later hires a permanent SLP. A motion to approve the contract through July passed; a roll‑call sequence recorded in the transcript included affirmative votes by several trustees.
Board members asked about timing and whether the contract should extend through summer school; staff confirmed July coverage was available under the agreement. Administrators said they will continue recruiting for permanent SLP staff while using the contract to meet student needs.
Next steps: staff will execute the contract, track usage and costs, and report to the board on staffing progress and any need to extend or amend the agreement.
