By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
As public backlash mounts over steep new education cuts, local Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Isabelle Charest (Brome-Missisquoi) and Geneviève Hébert (Saint-François) have issued near-identical statements defending the government’s record on school funding. Neither was available for interview on June 18 despite requests from The Record.
Both Charest, MNA for Brome–Missisquoi, and Hébert, MNA for Saint-François, highlighted that the province’s education budget for 2025 has increased by $1.1 billion over last year, reaching a record $23.5 billion. Since 2018, they said, this represents a 58 per cent increase.
Their shared message also underscored the need for “responsible financial management,” noting that staffing levels in the school network have outpaced student population growth. As a result, each school service centre must now make its own budget decisions “to best meet local needs while ensuring the sustainability of student services.”
Hébert’s office further emphasized her “close contact with school sector stakeholders” and stated that she is “fully aware of the challenges they face.”
In Charest’s case, her press attachée also directed The Record to Amélie Moffet, a communications advisor at the Ministry of Education, for further comment.
The statements come in the wake of widespread concern over a $510 million reduction to Quebec’s education system, on top of $200 million in cuts earlier this school year. The Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) has warned that programming, extracurriculars, and essential support services may be slashed to meet its own $6.5 million budget target, roughly 5 per cent of its total operating budget.
In an earlier interview, ETSB Chair Mike Murray described the situation as “impossible,” with daily internal meetings underway to search for savings across thousands of budget line items. The Quebec English School Boards Association has publicly condemned the cuts as an attack on the viability of the public system.
The Record will continue to follow this story and will seek interviews with both Charest and Hébert as soon as they are available.
