New iPad os

While things may look slightly different, the new iPadOS is fundamentally the same as standard iOS. It just incorporates some new features that better utilize such a large screen. Apple no longer lets you downgrade back to iOS 12 once you're on iPadOS 13.

You can also get away without using the new features as well.

No one is forcing you to upgrade to the new iPadOS.

iPadOS has some new features and they changed the way some existing features work.

If you are comfortable with your iPad at 12.4.4, you can stay there.

I have not been happy with all of the bugs and issues plaguing iOS/iPadOS since iOS 11 over two years, ago and my own 4-year old iPad Pro is still running iOS 10.3.3.

I am perfectly fine with running an older iOS version rather than deal with all the different issues seemingly plaguing more recent iOS versions, new and cool features aside.

If you feel fine to just continue to use iOS 12.4.4, that is a perfectly fine decision for you to do.

You can delete any iOS upgrade/update by going into the Settings app, General > iPad Storage and let a list of everything on your iPad generate itself.

Look for the iOS upgrade/update in the list, and at the end of thr description panel, tap on a gray colored arrow, then from there you can delete the iOS upgrade/update.

Then, do a hard reset of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons to regain the storage space taking up by the iOS upgrade/update stored on your iPad.

To keep the upgrade/update from returning onto your iPad, turn OFF WiFi when charging the iPad, when NOT in use, and do not use your iPad on WiFi, when plugged into the Apple power block or the iOS upgrade/update will re-download to your iPad.

I don't do automatic iCloud backups.

I do ocassional manual iCloud backups manually on WiFi only with no charging connection.

I charge my all of my iOS devices with WiFi turned OFF to prevent constant redownloading of Apple iOS upgrades/updates to my iOS devices.

It’s a pita to keep constantly deleting unwanted iOS upgrades/updates.

No WiFi means no network connection - so any automatic backup to iCloud won’t occur.

For iCloud backups you do, but that is the reason the iOS upgrades/updates keep returning to your iPad.

And you never mentioned you were doing automatic backups to iCloud on your iPad.