Providence students are demanding more school funding amid looming budget cuts

Isom-Agazie and other students, parents and activists stood on the steps of Providence City Hall Monday to decry proposed budget cuts, which include the cancellation of all winter and spring sports, non-union layoffs and more.

The financial crisis comes in the middle of one stalemate between city leaders and those who run the state-run school district over how much money the city should contribute to the public school system. The dispute is currently before the court.

“I think it’s ridiculous that I even have to be here,” Isom-Agazie said. “To everyone who works at City Hall, I want to ask you one thing: Would you let this happen to your children?”

Eliminating bus passes for students who live between 1 and 2 miles from school would save $735,000, while eliminating sports would save $1.7 million, according to district leaders. These two proposed cuts have caused the most concern in the community as they directly impact student numbers, mental health services and scholarships.

Providence City Council leaders said last week they had identified $1.5 million in unspent COVID relief money to offer to the schools, in addition to the $1 million previously offered by Mayor Brett Smiley. But the offer has conditions; the city wants an audit of the district’s finances, and council members want a promise that the $2.5 million will be used to bring back sports and bus passes specifically.

The province rejected the offer.

“Your offer is insufficient, and we are deeply concerned about how far apart we are from adequately resolving the crisis before us,” Superintendent Javier Montañez wrote in an Oct. 23 letter to the city’s chief of staff, June Rose.

When asked why the district wouldn’t take the $2.5 million now and continue to fight for the rest, spokesman Jay Wegimont echoed the superintendent’s message that it’s not enough.

“We have repeatedly renewed our request for $10.9 million to close the FY25 budget gap,” Wegimont said. “While this also does not meet the city’s full legal obligation to PPSD, it will allow the district to meet the urgent needs of students and ensure the district’s continued operations.” He declined to comment further due to the ongoing litigation.

Smiley disagreed with the way Montañez asked for the additional $11 million, to reporters in October the chief inspector called him to submit the request and demanded an answer within 24 hours, which the mayor considered an “ultimatum.”

Montañez confirmed at the time that he had asked the mayor to contact him within 24 hours, but said he called the mayor in the “spirit of cooperation.”

Students on Monday expressed their annoyance over the dispute between the leaders.

“I don’t care who did what,” Isom-Agazie said. “We need our money.” She accused Smiley of “deflecting” from the long-standing problem of City Hall underfunding the schools. “Don’t punish children,” she said.

Theo Avila, a sophomore at Classical High School, said he doesn’t blame any particular leader.

“This is a recurring problem,” Avila said. “This is something that didn’t happen all at once, so this blame cannot fall on any one person or program. I think this is because of some people’s bad decisions that led to it getting so bad.”

Avila skipped world history class to attend the news conference — “If I get in trouble, it’s worth it,” he said — and hopes to make the swim team this winter if it isn’t canceled.

“I hope this can lead to me getting a scholarship,” said Avila, who wants to study child psychology in college.

City leaders have funded the city schools for most of the state takeover, bringing in $130 million a year even as state funding increased annually. District officials say state law makes clear that the city must increase its annual appropriation during the takeover, but city officials have disputed the interpretation of that law.

Meanwhile, city leaders increased funding for the schools by $5.5 million in the budget year that began July 1, for a total of $135.5 million this year.

“Mayor Smiley has recognized that Providence schools have been underfunded for decades, but this problem cannot be solved quickly, especially during a state intervention,” Smiley spokesman Anthony Vega said in a statement Monday. “The district failed to prepare for the budget challenges created by the expiration of COVID-19 relief funds, nor did they adopt a balanced budget, which has led to the proposed cuts they now face.”

He said the city’s ability to provide more money depends on the outcome of the latest lawsuit, in which the RI Department of Education has asked State Treasurer James Diossa to withhold $8.5 million in car tax aid from Providence to divert that money to the school system.

The monthly state aid will be held in escrow until the case is resolved. The next court hearing is Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on the remaining COVID relief money, which must be allocated by December 31.

“This is one-time money that will expire if we don’t allocate it immediately,” Council President Rachel Miller said Monday. “We call on the district to accept the funding under these simple circumstances and reverse the cuts that will harm our city’s children.”

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Steph Machado can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @StephMachado.