Mayor Eric Adams had a chance to support charter schools Wednesday — but instead failed to give clear backing for them at an Albany budget hearing stocked with charter foes.

Hizzoner actually had several of the Democratic legislators convinced he was anti-charter, given his testimony bashing a proposal by Gov. Kathy Hochul to lift a state-imposed cap on charter schools for New York City as too expensive.

Adams stated that allowing more of the publicly funded, privately run schools to open in the Big Apple would cost the city treasury $1 billion — a figure that was quickly pounced on by charter opponents at the hearing.

“Increasing the cap on charter schools in New York City, as you stated, will impose a severe financial burden on the City of New York.”  Sen. John Liu (D-Queens) told the mayor during questioning about his forecast of a hefty price tag.

“It’s something I adamantly oppose, lifting of that cap,” the senator said, before adding gleefully: “It’s good to hear you’re kind of opposed also.”

But instead of correcting Liu about being “opposed” to hiking the charter cap and repeating his previously stated charter support directly to legislators, Adams demurred.

“Is that a question?” was all he said.

“Nope. There’s no question. You don’t have to say anything. You already said what you need to say here,” chucked Liu, a former city comptroller.

Adams then sought to clarify his position but took a neutral position on charter schools.

“I’m clear on scaling up successful schools, and I’m not attached to charter, district, public, private [schools]. … Scaling up successful schools is what I believe in.

“What I did today was point out what the cost is for New York City, which we believe could be a billion dollars. But we have a real school crisis in producing a quality of a product our children deserve and I support scaling up good schools.”

Liu replied, “I know many of my colleagues in the legislature want to help you not bear the burden of this additional imposed cost.”

Despite Adam’s failure to wave the charter banner before legislators, one leading charter school advocate tried to put a positive spin on his comments.

“Mayor Adams was crystal clear today in his support of scaling excellent schools for students — be they district or public charters. Students and effective schools, not systems, are what matter to him, a conviction that others should share,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center, which has previously ripped Adam’s $1 billion price tag for charters.

Hochul’s record $227 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2024, which begins April 1, would abolish the city cap and allow operators to seek approval for 85 more that now can only be opened elsewhere in the state.

There are 460 charter schools authorized for the entire state but New York City is the only region that has a cap within the overall limit.

Under state law, the Big Apple is limited to a maximum of 275 charter schools, all of which have already been authorized.

The governor also called for reauthorizing 20 “zombie” charter school licenses to new operators — once used by schools that closed.

Sources in the charter school sector expected Adams to be more supportive of charter schools than his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, by appointing David Banks as the schools chancellor. Banks was the founding principal of Eagle Academy, an alternative all-boys public school.

Adams, when questioned by The Post after his testimony on whether he still supported raising the cap finally repeated his previous support.

“Yes,” he said. “And I clearly talked about what’s called Zombie charters, that these charters that are open, sitting there, there’s no reason we’re not filling them.

“We’re already allocating those numbers. There’s no reason we’re not. That comes with a cost. And the state should assist in that cost. That is what’s important.” 

Despite Adam’s words of support outside the hearing, his $1 billion price tag was immediately cited by opponents of Gov. Hochul’s plan as a reason to scuttle the cap-lift proposal.

State Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), chairwoman of the powerful finance committee, pounced on Adams’ analysis to bash the notion of adding more charters to New York City.

“This is an extremely expensive proposal for the City of New York,” Krueger said while questioning the mayor. “I don’t think this is in the best interest of the city.”