Governor Cuomo and both houses of the state legislature want to extend Mayoral control of schools by three years, before it expires in June. Mayor de Blasio agrees that is exactly the right amount of time.

"This is really what we will be able to do in the remaining three years. And then the vote, organically would occur again exactly as a new Mayor is coming in,” de Blasio said.

Since the old school board system was abolished, Mayoral control has been a way to ensure accountability. Some critics fear a new Mayor may not be trusted to run the system properly, which is why the renewal of Mayoral control always comes with an expiration date.

"This is not about any one Mayor or one Administration. It is about school governance. And what is best for our school kids going forward in the future," Senator John Liu said.

When Republicans were in charge of the Senate, they were reluctant to give de Blasio more than a one year extension. That was in part due to bad blood between the Mayor and Senate Republicans after 2014 election when the Mayor took an active role in campaigning against their members in competitive races.

De Blasio got a one year extension in both 2015 and 2016. But in 2017 a two year extension was negotiated. 

His predecessor Michael Bloomberg, who first championed and won Mayoral control, was given much longer extensions.

"It was a very politicized process. And the notion that a system that had been productive was only given a one year extension at one point, I think  a lot of people in this City saw that as a very political act by the Republican Senate" de Blasio said.

Lawmakers and the Governor want to do the three year renewal as part of the budget due at the end of the month. 

But some members of the Assembly want to see their local concerns on school issues addressed before they grant a renewal. That could delay the process.