Gov eyes Blaz ed control OK

GOV. CUOMO said he hopes to have a deal on mayoral control before it expires this week — despite his criticism of Mayor de Blasio’s management of city schools.

“We’ll get it done at the appropriate time. I hope to get it done before it lapses,” Cuomo told reporters Sunday, before marching in the city’s annual Pride March. “I believe we’ll get it done. But it is a legitimate debate and there are strong feelings on both sides.”

The state Legislature ended its session last week without extending Blasio’s control of city schools, which will lapse at the end of the month without action.

Assembly Democrats want to extend it with no conditions attached, while Senate Republicans want an agreement that would also lift the cap on charter schools.

“There are people who are critical of the mayor’s management. We have 90 failing schools, etc. They don’t believe there’s enough transparency in where the money goes,” Cuomo, a frequent de Blasio rival, said of struggling schools the mayor put in the “renewal school” program.

“My point is, what’s the alternative? This may not be a perfect system, mayoral control, but the alternative is the Board of Education and that’s worse.”

Few in the Legislature have opposed mayoral control on the merits, instead arguing whether changes to boost charter schools should accompany it. But Cuomo said controversy persists over the concept.

“There is a heated debate in the Legislature,” he said. “There is a debate about whether or not mayoral control is the best way to run the school system.”