New Orleans' next mayor could have considerable sway over how much money flows to the city’s schools.

Two of the leading mayoral candidates said in a recent survey that they would end the city’s controversial practice of taking a cut of the taxes it collects for the Orleans Parish School Board, while a third candidate said he would reduce the fee the city charges.

The fee, which is at the heart of a long-running legal battle between the city and its schools , costs the school system more than $10 million annually. Last year, the city was prepared to settle the lawsuit and stop collecting the fee, but Mayor LaToya Cantrell abruptly backed out of the deal.

The incident put a spotlight on the role that New Orleans’ mayor can play in education, even without controlling the city’s system

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