A five-year, $17 million contract for the company that administers the city’s controversial entrance exam for specialized high schools was finally approved Wednesday after a highly-anticipated, much-delayed vote.
The city Department of Education’s Panel for Education Policy voted during its Wednesday night meeting to renew the contract with education company Pearson, which has administered the state-mandated admissions exam for the eight elite schools since 1983.
The panel voted 14 to two — with four abstentions — to approve the renewal during the meeting at Sunset Park High School, which was packed with hundreds of students and parents advocating for the continuation of the entrance exam.
