EAST PROVIDENCE — Will school closings be back on the table?

Or will all sports and extracurricular activities be eliminated?

Both are being discussed as the School Department grapples with a projected $3.3-million deficit in the current budget year and a roughly $1.2-million deficit from previous years.

“Not pretty,” said parent Tracy McCaughey, vice president of the Silver Spring Elementary School’s parent teacher club. “There are other ways of saving money, but they just don’t add up to anything that would have a material impact on the deficit.”

The club has organized a meeting tonight at 7 in St. Mark’s Church on Turner Avenue to discuss how parents and citizens can “influence” and participate in the city and school officials’ decisions.

McCaughey and others met with City Manager Richard Brown and Schools Supt. Jacqueline Forbes earlier this month. The city leaders allegedly confirmed one or more school closings is a “very really possibility” as well as the elimination of sports.

But McCaughey believes closing one or more schools will not be enough to cover the deficit.

Forbes gave four options, with potential savings ranging from $26,500 to $948,000, when school closings were discussed last year. The options included creating one school at Martin Middle School for seventh and eighth graders, with the sixth graders returning to the city’s elementary schools. There was also discussion of closing Silver Spring Elementary for a potential savings of about $282,000.

The city manager plans to present a deficit-reduction plan to both boards at either the council’s March 18 meeting or later that month. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

McCaughey said Brown also allegedly told her and club co-president Missy Andrade that “if all city employees [municipal, police, fire and teachers] agreed to a 20-percent cost share of their health insurance and gave back this year’s raises, the deficit would be completely wiped out and [would] put the city in very good shape for next year.”

The group has drafted letters for parents to send to the representatives of the local teachers’ union as well as the General Assembly in preparation for tonight’s gathering. One form letter is addressed to Rep. Steven M. Costantino, House Finance Committee chairman. It supports passage of two proposed bills that would give financial relief to districts for their special-education costs.

“These bills [House Bills 7042 and 7043] would provide much needed financial relief for all of the school districts in Rhode Island,” it said. “Currently, school districts are unfairly burdened with special-education expenditures. East Providence, in particular, is the recipient of a large number of outside placements every year.”

The second letter is for local teachers’ union delegates and leaders, such as union president Roberta Brady. It asks for their help in resolving the city’s “critical budget shortfall.” It says other local unions would be more willing to make similar concessions if the teachers agreed to relinquish their salary increase this year, which is why they are asking for the educators to “take the first step.”

“The alternative is clear,” the letter said. “…A deficit of this magnitude will not be addressed solely by redistricting and the subsequent sale or lease of the empty school(s).”

“… This request is not made lightly. I do not underestimate the difficulty of what I am asking you to do. This is a long-term solution that is in the best interests of the students and the teachers. It is a decision that strengthens the [East Providence] school system and improves the environment within which you work every day. It is the right thing to do for all.”

McCaughey said the letters will be distributed tonight with other information to get people involved and informed. It is unknown if city and school officials will be in attendance, but the club believes more needs to be done by everyone.

Its flier said, “Please come and find out what our [city’s] options are and what we can do to influence the decision and ensure that the academic needs of our children and the value of our community are maintained. We must come together as one voice and be heard.”

apina@projo.com