PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The state-run Providence Public School District remains at odds with the city over nearly $11 million in additional funding the district said is urgently needed to prevent layoffs, hiring freezes, eliminating student athletics and more.

The city, district and the R.I. Department of Education battled in court for a second day this week without any resolution.

Last month, R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green made a request to state Treasurer James Diossa to withhold $8.5 million in car tax reimbursement payments from the state to the city. The monthly state aid is being held in escrow until the matter is resolved.

On Oct. 16, the city filed a complaint in R.I. Superior Court in an attempt to block that request.

R.I. Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Lanphear said he could make a decision about the issues as soon as Friday, but would aim for some time in the coming days.

Lanphear said that's because there were extensive memos filed which have taken a while to review, and added that while discovery has been filed, "there has not been complete cooperation with discovery."

"There appear to be some new arguments being raised that where not in the original briefs on the underlying issue, which is complicating my review of the decision as well," Lanphear said. "The longer this goes on, the more complex is seems to be getting."

The district's deputy superintendent of operations, Zachary Scott, took the stand on Thursday and testified about cost saving efforts the district has undertaken, like closing or consolidating schools, reducing full-time employees in the central office, non-renewals and layoffs of teachers and changes to school start and end times.

The city is already contributing $135.5 million to public schools in the current school year. Last month, Superintendent Javier Montañez gave Mayor Brett Smiley 24 hours to respond to his request for the city to provide the district nearly $10.9 million beyond what's already been provided in the current budget year , which began on July 1.

In response, Smiley offered the district an additional $1 million from unbudgeted funds from recent deals with Lifespan and the Rhode Island School of Design in exchange for a $3 million match from the state.

Last week, Providence City Council leaders said it would offer the district $2.5 million in an attempt to prevent cuts to student athletics and RIPTA bus passes for some students.

In addition to the $1 million from Lifespan and RISD, the council said it would reallocate $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars. (The Providence City Council's Committee on Finance was scheduled to meet on Thursday night to discuss and vote on reallocating the ARPA funds, but announced late Wednesday night it would cancel its meeting and postpone that decision due to the ongoing litigation.)

The $2.5 million was offered to the district with conditions that it be used to save student athletics and RIPTA bus passes, in addition to agreeing to a third-party audit of the school department's finances.

Scott said the district was concerned about spending the money on those items and not on other items.

If the district eliminated 38 teaching assistant positions (and froze 30 additional positions), Scott district said that would bring in an estimated savings of $2,624,000.

However, Scott said eliminating teaching assistants in some of the district's highest need classrooms could come with serious consequences.

"We are seeing students that are displaying behaviors that we've never seen before [like] students running out of the classroom, students biting staff," he said. "Our concerns about removing them out of the classroom poses a safety concern."

Scott said any decision on eliminating winter and spring sports, which would save the district $1.7 million, needed to be made "before November."

"Our schools have been asking about recruiting for winter athletics. We've told them to hold on that," Scott said.

He said winter sports typically begin after the Thanksgiving break, and that the district would have to notify families soon about any decisions.

If the district were to raise the eligibility of students eligible to get a RIPTA bus pass from one mile to two miles, Scott said it would save the district $735,000. Anywhere from 1,500 to about 1,700 students would be impacted, he added.

District leaders previously told the city the $2.5 million was "insufficient," and renewed the district's request for $10.9 million.

Alexandra Leslie ( ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook .

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