Mayoral control refers to a system in which the mayor of a city has significant authority over the local public school district. This means that the mayor, rather than the elected school board or other governing body, has the power to make key decisions regarding education policy and budgeting for the schools within their jurisdiction. The idea behind this concept is that having one person in charge can lead to more efficient decision-making and better outcomes for students. However, there are also concerns about accountability and transparency when such authority is concentrated in a single individual.