Gov. Hochul promises to extend Mayor Adams’ control of NYC schools
Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed on Tuesday to get legislation passed that would extend Mayor Eric Adams’ control over New York City public schools.
“We will get mayoral control done by the end of the session, when it expires,” in June, Hochul told PIX 11. “No doubt about it.”
The governor did not specify how long of an extension she would be pushing for. Lawmakers have told The Post that several options are on the table, whether a multi-year or shorter extension, or even changing the makeup or rules of the city’s advisory education panel.
Hochul had included a four-year renewal of mayoral control in her initial proposal for the state’s 2023 budget, but both the state Assembly and Senate nixed it from their chambers’ plans.
The measure was left out of the $220 billion budget finalized Saturday.
“Historically, it does not get done in the budget,” she said. “But I put that as a placeholder to put out, state my priorities.”
“I wanted to show my confidence in the mayor, who will be working to make sure that the children that I also represent — I represent the school children and families here as well as governor — so I have the same interest in making sure they get the highest-quality education possible,” she said.
The legislative session ends June 2, while mayoral control is slated to expire on June 30.
Hochul’s statements came after Adams on Sunday urged state lawmakers to extend what he calls “mayoral accountability” over the public schools.
“This is the first time we have an African American mayor, an African American chancellor, both are public school-educated,” he said on WBLS “Open Line.”
“If we can’t have the control to fix our educational system, that just sends the wrong message,” he said.
John Liu, who heads the State Senate’s committee on New York City schools, told The Post last week the legislature could take the next couple of months to figure out “how best to move the schools forward.”
“It’s about the qualitative suggestions that have been coming in and that are still coming in,” he said.
Additional reporting by Sam Raskin
