Surplus showdown: school boards take Quebec to court
Tashi Farmilo
Local Journalism Initiative
WEST QUEBEC – The Western Québec School Board (WQSB) has voted to join a court challenge against Quebec’s controversial school budget rules, aligning itself with other English-language boards across the province. Meeting in a special session on August 13, commissioners approved the motion by a margin of seven to one, with one abstention.
At the heart of the dispute is a provincial directive barring school boards from using their unallocated surpluses to balance their budgets. For WQSB, which has about $15 million set aside, those funds have long served as a cushion during difficult financial years. The board argues the restriction undermines its ability to plan responsibly and protect programs from sudden cuts.
The move comes despite the government’s mid-July retreat from its original plan to cut $570 million from education. Following a public outcry and a petition that drew more than 150,000 signatures, Quebec agreed to reinvest $540 million in student services. But those funds are tightly earmarked and the ban on using surpluses—or running a deficit—remains.
Director General George Singfield underscored the risk. “A deficit budget will not be accepted, period,” he said. If one were submitted and rejected, “we have no money, no money to operate.” Chair Joanne Labadie added that financial risks are matched by political ones, warning the province could place the board under financial tutorship—stripping elected commissioners of control—if it is deemed to have mismanaged funds.
For Labadie, the issue extends beyond finances. “This is not just about short-term dollars. It’s about protecting our right to manage our own resources and to serve our
community without unnecessary interference,” she said, pointing to Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees minority-language communities the right to manage their schools, including finances.
The challenge will be led by Power Law under the coordination of the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), which is covering initial costs. Other English-language boards, including the English Montreal School Board, have already joined.
Board officials also raised concerns about the political climate. With rumours of a cabinet shuffle and even a snap election, they fear further cuts could come with the fall economic statement—and that surpluses might be clawed back, as the province has done before with municipalities during austerity.
For parents, staff, and students in the Pontiac and across the board’s territory, the case could determine not just how much money is available for classrooms, but whether local elected representatives keep the authority to decide how it is spent.
