Thirteen North Carolina state senators are calling on Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger to investigate the process Superintendent Mark Johnson followed in unilaterally awarding the multi-million dollar contract for a K-3 reading assessment to Istation.

In a letter sent to Senator Berger today, the lawmakers request that Berger “establish a Select Senate Committee to review the procurement process for the contract.” The senators are further asking that Berger delay implementation of the new K-3 reading assessment for a year.

As justification for the request, the senators point to Johnson’s dismissal of the findings of an evaluation committee which recommended that the state continue using the mClass tool which has been in use since 2013.

The letter asks that Berger take these steps to “restore some of the confidence lost by superintendents, teachers, and parents regarding the procurement process.”