The Quebec government’s chronic underfunding and top-down control have pushed us into this corner

Our commitment to our students is why the English Montreal School Board proudly maintains the highest graduation rate of any board or service centre in the province. We deliver excellence both inside and outside the classroom every single day, and we have the results to prove it.

But let’s be crystal clear: while we have always been proud of our pedagogical accomplishments, we’ve also been proud of our fiscally responsible record. Prior to this year, we never adopted a deficit budget. We prioritize value for every dollar while delivering the high-quality programming our diverse students deserve. Unlike this government, we don’t treat taxpayers’ money as though it grows on trees.

On June 30, under intense pressure from the government, we approved a balanced budget… at the end of the school year, no less. This is not normal. It has been a brutal, drawn-out battle marked by endless back-and-forth, micromanagement, and unrealistic demands from a government that lectures us about responsibility while drowning in red ink.

Let’s talk about the hypocrisy here. This is the same government that has inherited a $7 billion surplus, and turned it into billions of dollars in deficits, year after year… borrowing massively, kicking the can down the road, and saddling future generations with debt. 

The same government that racked up a $1.1 billion on the SAAQclic scandal. We now know from the Gallant inquiry report, that SAAQ officials lied to the government and public about costs and readiness, and that Premier Legault’s office knew about spiraling costs more than 18 months before the public Auditor General report exposed it. 

Yet they have the audacity to demand that we, a school board serving children on the front lines, deliver a perfectly balanced budget overnight.  They preach austerity to us while their own fiscal house burns. This is not leadership. Leadership is doing the right thing. Leadership is doing more than the bare minimum required. Leadership inspires those to do more because real leaders give more. Yet this government demands less. Less time. Less money, less resources. Less infrastructure. That is the exact opposite of leadership. Ineptitude, apathy, abdication, inaction, incompetence more accurately describes this government.

We are now forced to make tough choices because this government refuses to provide adequate, stable funding for newcomer and immigrant families: Kids who arrive speaking little or no French or English, fleeing conflict or seeking a better life. We help them integrate, learn the language, and catch up academically while supporting their traumatized parents.

We are now forced to make tough choices because this government refuses to provide adequate, stable funding for special needs students: Children with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, or complex medical conditions who require dedicated support staff, individualized education plans, and small-group instruction. Their needs don’t disappear just because the government wants a balanced spreadsheet. 

We are now forced to make tough choices because this government refuses to provide adequate, stable funding for English-speaking minority families: Long-time Quebecers whose first language is English, or whose parents attended English schools. These kids have a constitutional right under Section 23 of the Charter to be educated in their mother tongue…. yet they’re often treated like an afterthought. 

We are now forced to make tough choices because this government refuses to provide adequate, stable funding for Indigenous and radicalized students: Children from diverse backgrounds navigating cultural identity, systemic barriers, and the need for inclusive programming. 

We are now forced to make tough choices because this government refuses to provide adequate, stable funding for vulnerable youth: Kids from low-income households, single-parent families, or those dealing with mental health challenges, bullying, or family instability. Many rely on our after-school programs, counselling, and extracurriculars for stability.

We are working with experts like Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton on a comprehensive review covering everything from pedagogy and infrastructure to administration and the smart use of AI. Cuts of this magnitude the government is forcing will realistically take three years to get done without gutting services dramatically. Not because we need to get our fiscal house fully in order. It is fully in order. But the government is barring us from using our own money, our accumulated surplus. Despite all this, the government demands perfection in one year. That cannot be done, unless classes are overcrowded, programs are slashed, schools close, and services disappear. 

So, as discouraging as the picture can appear, we cannot lose hope. Our community is counting on us to rise to the occasion. So, we will continue to demand more. We will continue to let the government know they are asking for something impossible. We will continue that dialogue over the summer, but we will not apologize for refusing to sacrifice quality education on the altar of their short-sighted political timeline.

Our staffing plan is part of this reality. We are confirming positions, managing vacancies, and ensuring every hire fits within the restrictive parameters imposed by the province. We are merging departments to create efficiencies after a recent retirement. We remain fully committed to supporting special needs students. We will do everything to ensure their funding stays the same or increases. We will do everything to protect frontline services. Unfortunately, the media narrative about “cutting over 100 positions” was misleading. 

This government’s chronic underfunding and top-down control have pushed us into this corner. After years of neglect, inconsistent policy, and treating school boards like political punching bags, we are left innovating under duress. We will adapt. We will find smarter ways to deliver. But make no mistake: the real failure lies not with dedicated staff or this board, but with a provincial government that demands fiscal discipline from everyone except itself.

We will remain the number one school board in the province… not because of government support, but despite it. Our students deserve better than broken promises and hypocritical lectures. We will continue fighting for them.