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

The financial crisis occurs in the midst of a stagnation between city leaders and those running the state-controlled school district over how much money the city has to contribute to the public school system. The dispute is currently in court.

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

Cutting bus passes for students who live within 1 to 2 miles of school would save $735,000, according to district leaders, while cutting sports would save $1.7 million. Those two proposed cuts have caused the greatest alarm in the community, as they directly affect student attendance, mental health, and college scholarships.

Providence City Council leaders said last week they had identified $1.5 million in unspent COVID relief money they could offer to schools, adding 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 district rejected the offer.

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

When asked why the district wouldn’t accept the $2.5 million now and continue fighting 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 extreme needs of students and ensure the continued operations of the district.” He declined to comment further due to the ongoing litigation.

Smiley took issue with the way Montañez asked for the additional $11 million, telling reporters in October The superintendent called him to make the request and demanded a response within 24 hours, which the mayor took as an “ultimatum.”

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

Students on Monday expressed exasperation over the dispute between leaders.

“I don’t care who did what,” Isom-Agazie said. “We need our money.” He accused Smiley of “deviating” from the old issue of City Hall not funding schools enough. “Don’t punish the children,” he said.

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

“This is a recurring problem,” Ávila said. “This is something that did not happen suddenly, so this blame cannot fall on a single person or program. “I think this is due to the bad decisions of a lot of people that led to everything becoming so bad.”

Avila skipped world history class to attend the press conference (“If I get in trouble, it’s worth it,” he said) and hopes to be on the swim team this winter, if it’s not canceled.

“I hope that allows me to get a scholarship,” said Ávila, who wants to study child psychology in college.

City leaders have funded city schools throughout most of the state takeover, providing $130 million per year even as state funding increased annually. District officials say state law is clear that the city needs to increase its annual allocation during the inauguration, but city officials have questioned the interpretation of that law.

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

“Mayor Smiley has acknowledged that Providence schools have been underfunded for decades, but this problem cannot be resolved quickly, especially during a state intervention,” Smiley spokesman Anthony Vega said in a statement Monday. “The district did not prepare for the fiscal challenges that arose with the expiration of COVID-19 relief funds, nor did it pass a balanced budget, leading to the proposed cuts they now face.”

He said the city’s ability to offer more money depends on the outcome of the latest court case, in which the RI Department of Education petitioned state Treasurer James Diossa. withhold $8.5 million in auto tax aid to Providence to divert those funds to the school system.

Monthly state aid is held in escrow until the matter is resolved. The next court hearing is Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on leftover 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 ask the district to accept funding under these simple conditions and reverse cuts that will harm our city’s children.”

You can contact Steph Machado at [email protected]. follow her @StephMachado.