“Concussion” in the school network: Quebec imposes cuts of $200 million

Quebec is once again asking the school network to tighten its belt, by imposing cuts of $200 million for the current year, we have learned The Journal.

Even if student services are not directly targeted, school administrators fear that they will suffer “by the band”. Educational outings and staff development could in particular go by the wayside.

The Ministry of Education met with the general management of school service centers (CSS) on Friday to announce new budgetary targets, which vary from one service center to another.

Overall, $123 million will have to be cut from their operating budget. A sum of $70 million, corresponding to expenses that had not yet been incurred, will also be recovered by the ministry.

Private schools will also have to do their part, in proportion to the funding granted, which corresponds to an amount of just over $7 million.

All service centers will have to adopt a revised budget in the coming weeks. The cuts must be made by the end of the financial year, March 31.

“Major cuts”

This announcement created “a good commotion” in the school network, according to our sources. The last comparable cuts date back to those imposed by the previous Liberal government, during a period of austerity.

These are “major cuts”, since the room for maneuver is limited, it is explained.

The impacts of these cuts will become clearer over the coming weeks, depending on the choices made locally, but certain school service centers have already sent directives on this subject to their school principals at the beginning of the week.

Renting rooms externally for educational outings, continuing education (other than that already provided for in collective agreements), student entrepreneurship projects or staff recognition activities could suffer, in particular. Calls for projects launched by the ministry could be put on hold if the sums have not yet been committed.

In service centers, projects related to IT support could also be affected, for example.

“No fat to cut”

“By the way, it is certain that it will affect student services. I am very concerned about the situation,” says Carl Ouellet, president of the Quebec Association of School Management Personnel. It hopes that its members will be consulted “according to the usual mechanisms” in this context.

“It’s once again education that is suffering, but there is no fat to cut,” he added.

In the office of the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, it is argued that the “requested effort” represents less than 1% of the CSS operating budget.

“The expectations are clear: there must be no impact on student services,” says his press secretary, Antoine de la Durantaye, who reiterates that the Legault government is the one “which invests the most” in education, with a 50% budget increase since 2018.

“We are in a difficult budgetary context. We must respect the historic budgets granted to us,” he adds.

For its part, the Federation of Quebec School Service Centers simply indicated that “all efforts will be made to minimize the impacts for students.”

– With the collaboration of Geneviève Lajoie

Budgetary restrictions in the school network

For the year 2024-2025

• $400 million less for school renovations

The sums allocated for “asset maintenance”, that is to say devoted to renovations and maintenance of schools, decreased by $400 million compared to the previous year.

• Hundreds of closed francization classes

The significant reduction in funding for francization in adult education centers has led to the closure of hundreds of classes across the province, affecting more than 10,000 students, according to the Collectif francization.

• Postponed construction sites and a freeze on equipment purchases

Budgetary restrictions imposed in the investment budget have led to the postponement of work and a freeze on the purchase of equipment in several service centers, which have had a spending ceiling imposed for the current year.

• 200 million to be cut by March 31

The school network must cut $200 million by March 31, without affecting direct services to students, according to instructions sent last week by the Ministry of Education.