Carl Hagar
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

QUEBEC – This past June, the Quebec government again demanded significant budget cuts for public school boards across the province. In December 2024, boards had already been asked mid-year to slash approved budgets. This time, the government called for $570 million in cuts for the 2025–2026 school year, unleashing public fury and a mass petition. The backlash forced the government to scale back its demand to $30 million instead.

Joanne Labadie, Chairperson of the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB), criticized the move. “These are desperate government actions. We’ve just started to feel good coming out of the pandemic and the government unleashes another attack on the security of the school system. Students need all the help they can get, and the government threatens cuts to the services they need. We need budget increases and resources instead.”

WQSB Director General George Singfield said savings are being sought by eliminating temporary positions, relying on attrition, and cutting the recreational technician position. “We took a massive budget hit last year and that cut is recurrent. We’re not allowed to use any surplus money, and we must produce a balanced budget given the new parameters we have to work with,” he told the Journal.

Most of the school boards’ budgets are tied to negotiated contract salaries, making savings difficult.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville defended the cuts, saying the goal is to ensure boards manage budgets carefully by reducing administrative expenses. “The government has made historic investments in education, and we want to see services to children unaffected.”

Meanwhile, English-language boards under the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) are fighting the government in court over financial autonomy, particularly concerning surplus funds. With a provincial election about a year away, boards fear the government may seize surpluses to improve its financial picture.