The Big Apple’s schools chief says he is still “hopeful’’ the city can dodge a strike by the bus-drivers union before school starts next week, admitting it will be a “major inconvenience” if not.

“We are at the table. We are trying to be as helpful as we can possibly be, and we are still hopeful that we will be able to avert a strike,” Chancellor David Banks said during a press briefing in City Hall Friday.

“That being said, it is going to be a challenge,” Banks said if a strike is called. “Anytime you have a strike, it will be a challenge and it will be a major, major inconvenience to all of our kids and their families.”

A strike by Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union would affect up to 90,000 students on 4,400 routes across all five boroughs.

The Department of Education unveiled the details of its costly bank-up plans earlier this week, with school officials planning to tap rideshare apps, such as Uber and Lyfts, and hand out MetroCards to get the thousands of kids to school.

The DOE, though, has yet to sort out who will be eligible for rideshares, Banks conceded.

“We’re sorting out the details of who will get that because we can’t offer that to everyone,” the school’s boss said.

The DOE said it will either preorder Ubers, Lyfts or taxis for students or reimburse families up to $100 each way for the rides.

But that process also still remained unclear with under a week until the first day of school on Sept. 7.

“Suffice to say, every family will at least have some form of to get to and from school with their child,” Banks said to reassure New Yorkers.

The Post has reached out to the union for comment.