The English Montreal School Board has voted to reject the provincial government's demands to make deep cuts from its budget for 2014-15.
In a vote Tuesday night at the board's headquarters, they decided to give the government only part of the money it is seeking from the EMSB.
In the final board meeting before the Nov. 2 school board meeting, the commissioners made a statement by voting to give the government $1.4 million in revenues from its international students and through its adult vocational program.
They will, however, reject another $900,000 in cuts they said would have affected student services, such as homework assistance, breakfast programs for low-income families and programs for special needs budgets.
The board said it has already cut over $20 million from its budget since 2010 and had to send a strong message to Quebec that they can't cut more without affecting students.
“Enough is enough. We have had many, many cuts in the English school board system and at this time we are no longer going to accept making any other cuts to the services for our students,” said EMSB chair Angela Mancini, who is the incumbent candidate in the November election.
The decision puts the EMSB in a deficit, which they would not have been in had the government not asked for the additional budget cuts.
EMSB is not the only school board standing up the government after it demanded all schools cut back in July. The Commission scolaire de Montreal also refused to cut $9 million from its budget this year.
The EMSB said the cuts can't be done without affecting children.
Anne Lagace Dowson, who is running against Mancini for EMSB chair in the upcoming school board elections, said while opposing cuts to education is important she thinks Tuesday night's vote was grandstanding.
“I can understand their desire to send a message back to Quebec City but the enrolment is dropping here. There's a governance issue here that's been addressed by a reduction in the number of commissioners,” she said. “It's time to start a new chapter.”
