COVENTRY – Last spring Coventry students had their after-school activities taken away by COVID-19.

This fall, budget cuts might take them away from the entire school year.

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Friday, a group of Coventry High School students decided they weren’t going to sit quietly while things get figured out. A group organized by senior Maddy Almeida staged a protest outside the Coventry Public Schools offices and made their message heard loud and clear.

“Senior year is the year and it’s getting ripped away from us,” Almeida said.

“This happens every year since I’ve been in high school. There’s a problem with the budget,” senior Will Turner said. “It’s kind of hard to imagine a senior year without activities.”

Many – if not all – of the 75 or so students who gathered Friday morning are Coventry athletes. Athletics was at the forefront of the protest because the Rhode Island Interscholastic League had set Friday as the deadline for schools to announce their intent to participate in sports this fall.

RIIL Executive Director Mike Lunney said the league was aware of what was going on in Coventry. He said the RIIL will do whatever possible to ensure kids have opportunity, but did stress there is a time crunch. Teams can officially start practicing Monday. Cross country and girls tennis meets can start Oct. 3, while soccer and field hockey games can begin Oct. 10. (Field hockey is not offered at Coventry High.)

Wednesday, a joint budget workshop between the School Committee and the Town Council took place but no decisions were finalized. The discussion is set to continue next week.

Potentially cutting sports and other after-school activities is not a last-minute decision, according to Coventry Supt. Craig Levis.

“It’s been a fight, constantly. Unfortunately, people come in at a certain point with where the budget is but they don’t follow the budget process,” Levis said. “It’s hard to answer a question at a point in time when you don’t understand the entire process.”

“It’s every year,” said Christine Steinkamp, another parent who attended Friday’s protest. “I think it tugs at the heartstrings more this year because my kid is a senior.”

Calling it a “walk-out” – Coventry High students are distance-learning, so there was no classroom for them to physically walk out of – the students gathered on the lawn in front of the office and hung signs supporting their cause.

Most were wearing Coventry gear, whether it was letterman jackets, sweatshirts or Coventry-branded facial coverings. Students cheered as car horns honked in support.

“It’s what makes high school high school and what makes Coventry High School such an amazing school. All of us love it here,” Almeida said. “I can’t even stress how many people are leaving if they take [after-school activities] away. [Levis] said people come here for the school, but they’re going to leave. Nobody wants to stay where they won’t give you your high-school career.”

“A lot of kids were posting anti-protest, don’t go to the protest because it’s disrespectful for teachers,” senior Skyla Landry said. “We’re in a time crunch and this is the only thing we can do because of time – skip school and protest here today.”

Turner has followed the process closely. He said Thursday night he called members of the School Committee to discuss the effect pulling after-school activities would have on students.

“It seems like a lot of them want sports. I’m hoping they have a special meeting to reinstate them,” Turner said. “We have five School Committee members and we need three to reinstate, so I hope they do that.”

“We need sports. We need drama. We need music. We need all activities,” said Levis, who spoke to the students and answered a handful of questions before heading back inside for a meeting. “We’re not different than anybody else; our kids are no different. They need everything. We need the support to get there. It isn’t as one-sided as some people want to make it appear. We didn’t just end up here.”

It does sort of feel that way for those fighting for the cause.

“We moved up here from New Jersey five years ago and thought we were picking a great town. We didn’t,” said Kelly Carpinello, whose son plays on the football team. “I love the people, I love the teachers and I love the kids. What the Town Council does to these kids is pathetic and it’s disheartening.”

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