NEW YORK, NY June 30, 2009 —Even with the Senate set to get back to business today, Mayor Bloomberg's administration is considering the unthinkable: what to do if mayoral control does expire. As WNYC's Beth Fertig reports,the expiration could lead to a hornet's nest of issues.

REPORTER: If mayoral control does expire, the city schools would go back to the old board of education structure. That seven member board would include two members appointed by the mayor and five by the borough presidents.

The board could decide to keep Chancellor Klein. But that doesn't mean Bloomberg's still fully in charge. Under the law, the city would also have to reinstate 32 community school boards which would be responsible for choosing district superintendents.

Without those local boards, there are no clear lines of authority. So countless decisions that are now made by principals could be legally challenged because they weren't approved by district superintendents. Nor is there a fast and easy way to pick these new local school boards. Elections wouldn't take place until next May. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.