Providence students demand more school funding amid threat of cuts

Isom-Agazie and other students, parents and activists took to the steps of Providence City Hall on Monday to decry the proposed cuts, which include the elimination of all winter and spring sports, as well as nonunion layoffs and more.

The financial crisis appears among stalemate between city officials and those who manage a state-controlled school district over the amount of money the city must pay into the public school system. The dispute is currently in court.

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

According to district leaders, limiting bus fares for students who live 1 to 2 miles from school would save $735,000, while limiting sports activities would save $1.7 million. These two proposed cuts have caused the most concern in the community because they directly impact student attendance, mental health and college scholarships.

Last week, Providence City Council leaders said they had identified $1.5 million in unspent Covid-19 relief money they could offer to schools, which is 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 the councilors promise that $2.5 million will be spent on restoring, among others, sports and bus tickets.

The district rejected this offer.

“Your offer is inadequate and we are seriously concerned about how far apart we are to adequately address the crisis facing us,” Superintendent Javier Montañez wrote in an Oct. 23 letter to the board’s chief of staff, June Rose.

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

“We have repeatedly repeated our request for $10.9 million to close the FY25 budget gap,” Wegimont said. “While this also does not satisfy the city’s full legal obligations to PPSD, it will enable the district to meet the immediate needs of students and ensure the continuity of the district’s operations.” He declined to comment further due to ongoing legal proceedings.

Smiley disagreed with the way Montañez asked for an additional $11 million, he told reporters in October the superintendent challenged him to submit an application and demanded a response within 24 hours, which the mayor treated as an “ultimatum.”

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

On Monday, students expressed irritation with the dispute between the leaders.

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

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

“It’s a recurring problem,” Avila said. “It didn’t happen all at once, so the blame cannot fall on one person or program. I think it’s because of many people’s poor decisions that have led to things getting so bad.

Avila skipped his world history class to attend the press conference. “If I get into trouble, it’s worth it,” he said, and he hopes to join the swim team this winter if classes aren’t canceled.

“I hope this will give me a scholarship,” said Avila, who wants to study child psychology at university.

City governments funded city schools for most of the state takeover, contributing $130 million a year, even as state funding increased every year. County officials say state law clearly states the city must increase its annual appropriations during the acquisition period, but city officials dispute the interpretation of that law.

Meanwhile, city officials increased school funding by $5.5 million for the fiscal year starting July 1, bringing the total to $135.50 this year.

“Mayor Smiley has acknowledged that Providence schools have been underfunded for decades, but this problem cannot be solved quickly, especially with state intervention,” Smiley spokesman Anthony Vega said in a statement Monday. “The District failed to prepare for the fiscal challenges that arose with the expiration of COVID-19 relief funds and to adopt a balanced budget, which led to the proposed cuts it now faces.”

He said the city’s ability to offer more money depends on the outcome of a recent court case in which the R.I. Department of Education asked state Treasurer James Diossa withhold $8.5 million in car tax aid from Providence in order to direct those funds to the school system.

Monthly public assistance is held in escrow until the matter is resolved. The next court hearing will take place on Wednesday.

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

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

---

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