Students will return to public schools Thursday — a year that will see schools grapple with budget cuts, drop most coronavirus regulations, and focus on the priorities of a new mayoral administration.

It’s the first, first day of school for Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s Schools Chancellor David Banks, who are likely to tout new initiatives, such as programs to help children with dyslexia.

But hanging over the start of the year will be budget cuts — about 77% of city public schools have smaller budgets this year than the year before, amounting to $469 million in cuts citywide, according to the city’s Comptroller Brad Lander.

Those schools are facing cuts because they’re serving fewer children, and funding is tied to enrollment. However, in the final years of the former de Blasio administration, thanks to stimulus funding, schools were not financially penalized for enrollment loss, to help them navigate the pandemic.

Adams is phasing the policy out, resulting in steep budget cuts at some schools, who can employ less staff. That means larger class sizes, or cutting programs, such as music or art taught by teachers the schools can longer afford.

Critics of the budget cuts argue this will only drive enrollment lower and make it harder for schools to help children bounce back from the academic, social and emotional losses they sustained during the pandemic.

The cuts have been a political flash point all summer — with parents dogging Adams at events and city Councilmembers, who initially approved the cuts as part of the city budget and are now calling on Adams to restore the funding.

Adams and Banks are likely to focus on their own new initiatives, including pilot programs to better serve children with dyslexia. Adams has said he struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia as a child until he was diagnosed with the reading disorder in college.

This school year the city is rolling out two intensive pilot programs — including one at P.S. 161 in the Bronx that’s being led in part by parents of children with dyslexia.

At another 160 schools, the city will offer increased resources for identifying and helping kids with the reading disorder and will screen all children for dyslexia citywide.

This year will also mark the closest to normal school year since coronavirus hit in 2020. There will be no mask mandate, required social distancing, more random coronavirus testing, and classroom quarantines when a child tests positive.

Vaccines will continue to be required for school staff and students playing high-contact high school sports.