TRENTON -- Jersey City is likely to regain local control of its school district's instruction and programming later this year, the final step in emerging from the state's nearly 30-year takeover of city schools, acting state Education Commissioner Kimberely Harrington said Wednesday.

The district passed the state's latest review of school instruction, Harrington said at Wednesday's state Board of Education meeting. A resolution to return control of instruction to the district will likely come before the board in a few months, she said, setting the stage for a historic vote.

That resolution is expected to pass, President Mark Biedron said.

"We are moving forward," Biedron said, adding that he hopes to vote as soon as next month. "They're done."

After the vote, the district will be required to develop a transition plan and the state will continue to monitor its performance, he said.

The state took over Jersey City's school district in 1989 after education officials said the "total educational failure" of the city's schools was hurting students. It was the first school system taken over by New Jersey's state government, which later took control of Newark, Paterson and Camden schools for similar failures.

Jersey City slowly regained local control of other aspects of its district beginning a decade ago, Harrington said. It earned control over personnel in 2015, the second-to-last step in the process.

"This has been a long and hard-earned path," Harrington said.

Mayor Steven Fulop said the state's confidence in Jersey City affirms the hard work of parents, teachers and other community members to change the direction of the schools.

"Local control, however, is not the end," Fulop said, "but another step along the way in ensuring that our schools continue to improve and that all students throughout the city are provided the quality education they deserve."

Newark Public Schools is also nearing a return to local control, and a vote by the state board will likely take place this summer, Biedron said.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.