By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star

Superintendent John Jarpe read aloud during the Brandywine Community Schools Board of Education meeting Monday a list of 17 names – teachers – who are likely to be laid off effective April 30.

“We must make staff reductions,” he said.

Jarpe said the reading of the list was merely a presentation of the layoffs to the board. A vote is expected next week.

“The hope is some of these teachers will be recalled to work,” he added.

Jarpe was sure to clarify that things could change that would alter the list developed by seniority.
Retirements, he said, impact the loss of teachers, but no retirements had been presented to him by Monday night.

Those teachers on the list were notified prior to Monday night’s meeting and Jarpe said it is his hope and a current prediction that this is the only round of layoffs the district will make.

“Hopefully this is worst case scenario,” he said.

The 17 teachers’ salaries will amount to nearly $950,000, but that is still short of the $1.4 million deficit the school is facing due to significant reductions in funding.

Another topic up for discussion, Jarpe said, was high school block scheduling.

The district was scheduled to hold a community forum taking suggestions on budgeting options this morning and another is scheduled for Wednesday evening.

“We do need to set a budget for the 2010-11 school year in June,” Jarpe told the board. “We’re going to have to make some reductions in our budget.”

The purpose of the forums, he added, is to give parents and the community a chance to “share ideas.”

Also during Monday’s meeting, the board heard information about an up-and-coming program – a partnership with Niles, Buchanan and Lake Michigan College Bertrand Crossings Campus that would give students a chance to earn college credit by taking prerequisite courses at LMC as part of an Early College Academy.