Cut budgets or cut school boards: PQ

Schools in the province are being told by the PQ government that tax hikes in the face of budget cuts are now unacceptable… as well as the possibility of school boards being done away with altogether.

According to CTV, the Parti Quebecois government told the boards that the recent increase in school taxes are no longer acceptable. Since hikes received a furious response from both suburban and rural residents.

Especially those in the 450 area, where the PQ most needs votes to win an election.

Quebec English School Boards Association member, David D’Aoust says the hike was their last resort after funding to school boards was cut by 100 million dollars earlier this year.

Premier Pauline Marois now says that the government will tell school boards where to make cuts if they’re not willing to do it themselves.

This after both English and French school boards met with Marois and Education Minister Marie Malavoy two weeks ago to discuss how there is no room to cut without cutting services to students.

The PQ has also suggested doing away with school boards altogether, which The Coalition Avenir Quebec supports, while the Liberals oppose.

Susanne Stein Day of the Lester B. Pearson Board says eliminating school boards would require altering the federal constitution.