Schools Chancellor David Banks is stepping down 2.5 months earlier than his planned retirement, as federal investigations continue to ensnare the Adams administration, City Hall announced in a late Wednesday statement. “It became clear that our students will be best served by having the same leadership through as much of the school year as possible, rather than changing chancellors halfway through,” said Amaris Cockfield, a spokeswoman for Mayor Adams. Deputy Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos — Banks’ former chief of staff who currently oversees family and community engagement — will now take over the nation’s largest school system on Oct. 16, Cockfield added. Just last week, Banks announced he would retire at the end of this year, but he’ll now have his last full day Oct. 15 instead. Two sources familiar with the matter said Adams, who’s himself under federal indictment, pushed Banks out early in part to satisfy a demand from Gov. Hochul to purge his administration’s upper ranks of embattled officials amid swirling corruption investigations into his inner circle. If Adams chooses not to resign amid his own legal troubles, Hochul has the power to remove him. One of the sources described Banks as upset and said he asked Adams to reconsider. The mayor was conspicuously absent from Banks’ weekend wedding to First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. She is also expected to resign after Adams issued an unusual executive order that eases Wright’s ability to delegate her duties, sources said. The Department of Education referred requests for comment to City Hall, which didn’t comment on Adams’ involvement in Banks’ early ouster. “I can’t worry about what the questions are,” Banks said on Fox 5’s Good Morning New York earlier Wednesday. “When it’s time, it’s time. Had a 40-year career, had a lot of impact on the lives of lots of parents and families and our kids. But it was time for me to go, and I can’t be concerned about all those other kinds of questions.” Banks had his phones seized and Harlem townhouse raided Sept. 4 as part of a federal investigation. Sources said the probe is related to his government consultant brother Terence Banks’ business before the city agencies of his siblings, including Chancellor Banks and Phil Banks, deputy mayor of public safety. None of the Banks brothers have formally been accused of wrongdoing to date by the feds. Aviles-Ramos, who will now take the reins in two weeks, said during a press conference earlier this month to announce her appointment that “my charge” is to see through Adams and Banks’ joint agenda. Adams, who was back in court Wednesday, continues to face federal bribery and campaign finance charges. Prosecutors described it as “likely” additional defendants in Adams’ orbit will be charged as part of their ongoing investigation; the mayor has pleaded not guilty.