Lester B. Pearson School Board approves $276M budget

The Lester B. Pearson School Boardwill balance its books, despite a $1.6 million deficit.

The board approved its$276 million 2015-2016budget last night.

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The Ministry of Education has allowed the board to declare andeficit of more than $1.6 million.

The school board is using accumulated surpluses to balance the books.

The board says it's struggling to make up for a $13.5 million gap in funding for this school year.

Last spring, it launched a consultationprocess to embark on a"major school change" toaddress thebudget shortfall.

Part of the cost cutting measures included laying off 18 elementary-school librarians working for the board. The board has since said it was able to spare some of those jobs through attrition in other areas.

The school board's expenses most of which are tied up salaries have been rising more quickly than its revenues, which come from Quebec's education ministry.