A contract for the company that administers the test to get into New York City’s elite specialized high schools is expected to be approved during a much-delayed and crucial vote Wednesday, The Post has learned.
Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, in an exclusive interview, waved off concerns from students, parents and advocates that the entrance exam for the eight high schools could get torpedoed during the Panel for Education Policy’s meeting Wednesday.
“We have prepped our PEP to make the best decision,” she told The Post Monday about the Department of Education’s advisory board — which will decide whether to renew the contract, allowing the admissions exam to be administered.
“We want to make sure that PEP is very comfortable and brief and has all the information that they need to make an informed decision,” she said.
The postponement of the vote over the five-year, $17 million contract with education company Pearson had ignited fears among some families that there would be no exam next year for the freshman classes of 2026.
But asked whether she was telling students prepping for the Specialized High Schools Admission Test that they didn’t need to brace for a nasty surprise, Aviles-Ramos simply said “yes.”
If approved, the test — which serves as the sole entrance criteria for top institutions like Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech and others — could be given digitally.
Speaking to the Post Editorial Board Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams said: “I’m a supporter of specialized high schools. We feel that is going to pass.”
The 24-person panel will need at least 13 votes to approve the contract renewal during Wednesday night’s PEP meeting.
Panel chair Greg Faulkner said Tuesday he was positive that “the majority of the panel will vote in its favor.”
Proponents of the merit-based entrance exam had worried the vote postponement was a back-door attempt by woke critics to kill the test, which is required by state law.
The contract vote had first been set for October, then pushed to November and is now set to finally take place Wednesday after a town hall was held on the controversial manner.
Opponents argue pricey test prep is out of reach for low-income families and that the exam keeps black and Latino students out of the specialized high schools, which enroll more than 16,000 kids. Last year, only 4.5% of offers went to black students and 7.6% to Latino students, according to city data.
But after months of debate, the PEP has heard “overwhelming support” for the test, Faulkner told The Post, saying he would put forth “a motion for unanimous consent” for the contract.
“Awarding this contract is the first step, next we’ll address accessibility,” Faulkner said, noting a committee has been set up to address those concerns to Albany lawmakers.
“They’re going to create an agenda about a number of issues that we want to talk to the legislature about, because they may not come under our purview,” he said.
The test has been administered by Pearson since 1983.
— Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy
