The state's information technology chief has signed off on a disputed contract for the e-learning program Istation.
The Department of Public Instruction had canceled an emergency contract worth more than $900,000 that state School Superintendent Mark Johnson had entered into with the vendor. Istation has proven to be unpopular with teachers.
The move put Johnson on the defensive against department officials who questioned the justifications for the emergency measure.
Now North Carolina's Information Technology chief Eric Boyette has signed off on a short-term contract for Istation to carry out reading tests in public schools.
Boyette says Johnson should have sought permission from his office for the initial contract but didn't.