Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) has cut over $510,000 from its operating budget for the remainder of the year following a directive issued by the provincial government.

NFSB director general Mike Helm was called to a meeting on December 13 where administrators from across the province were informed that the Ministry of Education was clawing back $200 million from school boards and service centres by March 31.

This translated into a budget cut of just over $510,552 at the NFSB, with less than three months to recover the funds.

The Ministry of Education indicated that budget surpluses could not be used, and that cuts could not directly impact services. As a result, the NFSB council of commissioners adopted a revised budget providing for revenues of $93,655,481 and expenses totaling $93,579,463. The same surplus amount of $76,018 was maintained from the initial budget passed in September.

“It was extremely difficult, because the majority of our budget is human resources,” says Helm. “So being told halfway through the school year that you have to make these reductions, you’re actually working with a very small amount of money,” he explains, noting that some of the flexibility within the budget had already been spent.

“In order for us to not hit the classroom, we really had to look at it from several different pockets as opposed to just trying to take it from one area,” he says.

With only three months to react, the NFSB moved to reduce or restrict travel, professional development, and overtime. Funds will be strategically managed moving forward, and purchasing will be limited to the essentials.

“One of the biggest areas in terms of us finding the monies was, in essence, not replacing people who went on a leave of absence,” says Helm. He acknowledges that keeping some vacancies open will save some money, but “It comes at a cost, as those duties and responsibilities now have fallen onto the shoulders of a number of people.”

The NFSB Council of Commissioners chair, John Ryan, admits the government directive came as a surprise and quite a shock. “The professionals took the time to look at it and run the numbers. They came up with a series of steps that added up to the right amount,” he says.

“We were able to do it, and I have to give a tremendous amount of credit to the people that worked on it and made those decisions with the lens of protecting our students and our clientele as much as possible,” Ryan says, while suggesting it has amounted to extra stress on everyone.

Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard has been holding pre-budget consultations in preparation for the 2025-2026 provincial budget. Helm says that all indications are pointing toward uncertainties regarding the 2025-2026 school year. “I believe we are going to see a reduction, and then that will be proportioned out through all of the school boards and school service centres,” he says.

In the meantime, the rest of the school year will play out within very slim margins.