Concerns over NYC Mayor’s School Control Extension

ALBANY — The four-year extension of Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s control over New York City’s schools may face challenges as state budget discussions are set to conclude in the coming weeks.

According to sources involved in the negotiations, Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to extend the mayor’s authority for four years might be reduced to just two years, or possibly discarded altogether.

This matter is intertwined with ongoing discussions about potential changes to class size regulations, which the Department of Education has indicated could cost hundreds of millions to enact. It seems these changes might also be delayed.

State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Queens) mentioned that the issue of class sizes is “more concerning when talking about extending the mayor’s control over the New York City school system.”

He noted, “I’m not sure if this falls within the budget or outside it, but it’s all happening concurrently,” regarding the mayor’s management extension.

Governor Hochul confirmed to reporters that talks regarding class size laws are still engaging, after she hinted at them a few weeks back. “Class sizes are definitely something that will be evaluated for their economic impact and whether changes need to be implemented this year,” she remarked.

It’s worth noting that former Mayor Eric Adams had to plead with Albany to maintain his mayoral powers, a situation common for many mayors, but this topic had remained largely unnoticed in this year’s discussions.

Some lawmakers were skeptical about removing the mayor’s authority from the extensive $263 billion budget. Assembly Education Committee Chairman Michael Benedetto (D-Bronx) referred to the potential loss of mayoral control as merely a “rumor.”