The Education Authority (EA) is facing a potential budget deficit of £200m in the current financial year.
That is according to the organisation's director of finance, Seamus Wade.
Mr Wade said the EA was currently facing a particular deficit of £116m in the services it provides for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Speaking to BBC News NI, Mr Wade said he was asking political parties to give the "required priority to the education budget".
Previous research has suggested that Northern Ireland spends less on each school pupil's education than any other part of the UK.
