SCHOOL BOARD WARY OF DECEIT SOFTWARE FIRMS USE SAME NAME.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Staff Writer

A controversial $6.3 million contract approved by the Los Angeles Unified School District board for adult educational software drew more attention Thursday amid school officials' claims the vendor deceived the board.

Superintendent Roy Romer said he learned that the Washington-based company whose proposal his staff reviewed last year, Reality Based Learning, was not the same company the board approved the contract with following heated debate Tuesday night.

Rather, a former employee of the company spun off his own firm with a similar name, Reality Based Learning California, pursued the contract and failed to tell the board he no longer worked for the Redmond, Wash.-based RBL, Romer said.

``I think I'm a victim of a classic bait and switch,'' Romer said.

However, Gary Andersen, who founded both companies, maintains that the contract is legitimate.

He had been working with RBL in Washington when the company was pursuing a contract for adult literacy with LAUSD. But when the company made the decision to abandon the proposal in October, Andersen remained committed to the idea.

He split from the firm to start RBL California and continued lobbying the school board.

``My dream is to provide a program to advance learning in low-income communities, and RBL was not about to do that,'' Andersen said Thursday.

The Washington state RBL's new president and CEO, Sam Lim, sent a letter out Thursday trying to clarify that he and Andersen have gone their separate ways.

Andersen maintains that his attorneys have cleared the name.

But board President Caprice Young said the controversy is not about confusion over names but deception.

``It appears RBL California may not have the right to sell that software,'' she said.

Romer had opposed the contract for adult literacy software on grounds that the design did not suit adults.

The public hearing Tuesday erupted in fireworks between Romer and state Sen. Richard Polanco, D-Los Angeles, after Romer accused Polanco of inappropriately using his political power to strong-arm a board majority into adopting the program.

Polanco shot back that Romer has been illegally using state funds earmarked through Proposition 227 for adult literacy to subsidize elementary education programs.

On Thursday, Romer said he was shocked Polanco didn't even bring up the difference between the two companies.

But Polanco defended Anderson, noting that he was the founder of the Washington-based company and brought his expertise to California.