PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Rhode Island Superior Court Judge has decided that the city of Providence must pay the school district an additional amount of money to close their budget gap. Back in October, Mayor Brett Smiley said that the superintendent of the Providence Public School District, Javier Montañez, called him with a 24 hour ultimatum of providing the district an extra $10.9 million. This came with a warning of dire cuts if funding could not be met, he said, and Smiley described this interaction as “alarming and irresponsible.” “This is the latest chapter, sadly in a longer discussion we’ve been having with PPSD about their current budget and financial challenges,” Smiley said at the time. According to the Smiley, the city increased funding this year for the school district, giving it its largest increase in 17 years. The budget was passed, and as the mayor said it was all he could spend “in the fiscal year.” Providence City Council also said that they would allocate over $2 million for the district. Smiley addressed the announcement this afternoon, calling the decision by the court “disappointing.” Smiley said the decision will lead to budget cuts and new taxes for Providence residents. The city has since implemented a hiring freeze and all discretionary spending has now been put on pause. Expected cuts for the city include libraries, police training, and park funding. Additional layoffs from the city are also possible. The Superior Court Judge said that the city “has to pay a certain amount timely, and it could have computed that amount when it prepared its original budget.” On Friday, the court determined that that in accordance with the Crowley Act, municipal funding for school districts under state intervention must be increased by the same percentage as the increase in statewide school aid. In a statement, Superintendent Javier Montañez said the ruling was “a win for our kids.” “As your Superintendent, I’m grateful that the Court ruled in the favor of ensuring the District has access to municipal aid which will help lessen the impact of projected cuts to critical student services, programs, and staff support that would have a devastating impact on the education of Providence students,” said Montañez. Montañez said that the Court has scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday to determine the precise amount of the city’s obligation to fund PPSD for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025. Today, Providence schools are planning a walkout to city hall to call on proper funding. Categories: News