Quebec won’t approve school board deficits this year

Quebec’s school service centres and school boards will not be allowed to run a deficit or dip into any existing surplus to mitigate the latest budget cuts, the Education Ministry said in a letter sent Monday.

In the letter sent out by Deputy Minister of Education Carole Arav, of which CTV News obtained a copy, educational institutions were told they would no longer be able appropriate their accumulated surpluses as of June 30, 2025.

Institutions in Quebec typically have to ask the Education Ministry for permission to run a deficit.

“It should be noted that the appropriation rule was intended to allow public educational institutions to report a deficit up to the permitted appropriation limit without having to submit a request to the Minister of Education,” Arav said in her letter. “Consequently, the rule changed to 0 per cent appropriation means that educational institutions can no longer present a deficit budget for 2025-2026.”

Arav also said the Ministry has no plans to allow school authorities to present deficits if they were to request one.

The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) said it was “astounded, outraged and deeply alarmed” by the news in a statement.

The Coalition Avenir Québec government announced a $570-million budget cut in the education system earlier this month, on top of the $200 million it slashed in December.

“This government is expecting us to make these astronomical cuts on the backs of our students, which is completely unacceptable. These reckless decisions will have devastating and long-term consequences for an entire generation of students,” said QESBA President Joe Ortona on June 13.

“This financial crisis was not created by school boards, and we will not allow our school system’s integrity to be sacrificed to solve this government’s deficit,” he added.

In her letter, Arav said that “despite the challenge,” she is “confident” that administrative teams will be able to find “the best possible solutions” while “preserving the services provided to students as much as possible.”

“We are counting on you to act as guardians of the proper management of the public funds entrusted to you in your role,” she said.

On Monday, the same day Arav sent her letter, the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) called for Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville to step down, saying he is not fit for the position.