The boards have already been stripped of their major powers, such as hiring superintendents and principals.

Beyond that, the local boards should be limited to hiring superintendents, not principals and other staff.

Of the 47 Great City districts, 42 have hired new superintendents since 1990.

The board members offer policy advice and hire superintendents, principals and other staff.

The old boards used to have significant powers, like hiring superintendents and principals.

But on the East End, 21 out of the 26 districts have hired new superintendents over the last two years.

State education laws give the city's decentralized school boards the power to hire superintendents, but they must follow a three-stage process.

But under the new measure, the schools chancellor would hire superintendents from lists offered by the school boards.

The board argued that he was violating the decentralization law, which gave school boards the power to hire superintendents.

Local boards could be involved in hiring superintendents but not principals, which would considerably reduce the scope for corruption.