While Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitao's economic update this week had some good news for you in the form of a tax cut, it had some even better news for English school boards.
The Couillard government wants to introduce a new standardized school tax, based on the lowest rate in each region.
On the island of Montreal you pay the same school tax whether it goes to French or English school boards thanks to an administrative committee.
In other parts of the province, including Laval, that is not the case. Giving your school taxes to an English board instead of a French one could be a hundred, even thousand dollar decision.
"It's going to be a huge dramatic impact on our school boards in that for the first time in years we will have a normalized tax rate in boards" Jennifer Maccarone, President of the Quebec English School Boards' Association told CTV Montreal. "There will no longer be in inequity between English and French boards and no longer an inequity in terms of what it costs for your education."
The inequity was due to declining enrolment. With fewer students English schools received less funding, meaning they needed a higher tax rate.
This led to many people choosing to pay the lower rate, giving more money to French boards.
"As a teacher in an English school board we've always felt that it's just unfair that there are so many people that would like to pay to English boards and cant because of massive difference" Lia Maggiorino, teacher of Laval Junior Academy, said.
Education Minister Sebastien Proulx said the school tax reform will be part of a new bill and should be in place for next year's tax bill. He added for many people across the province it will mean a significant drop in taxes.
Proulx will meet with school boards in December to discuss the tax reform.