Eight teachers from Brandywine Community Schools will learn this week they will be laid off at the end of the year.

Supt. John Jarpe said that number could change for the better, pending final state funding figures.

“That would be the maximum,” Jarpe said Tuesday morning.

The superintendent will meet with those teachers this week, prior to submitting their names to the district’s board of education.

The district is facing an estimated $900,000 reduction in funding based on Gov. Rick Snyder’s initial budget proposal.

“(The proposal) is all we really have to go on right now,” Jarpe said. “We’re facing that $700 loss per student, with the retirement increases, things of that nature. That is the ball park figure.”

He said officials are looking for ways to cut costs and save money every day.

Last year, the district was forced to lay off 18 teachers due to budget cuts. All but one of those teachers were reinstated after others retired.

Asked why this year’s number is so low, considering cuts in funding are even more severe, Jarpe said changes to last year’s scheduling — from a block schedule to a seven-period day — made a difference, along with other factors.

Jarpe said negotiations with the teachers’ union could also make a difference in the future.

“We’re looking at negotiations,” he said. “Of course, salary and benefits is something that’s always discussed at negotiations, (and there is) just trying to hold down costs in other areas.”

Changes in state funding could also help the matter, Jarpe said.

“I know there are some initiatives to have all public employees pay 20 percent (of health insurance),” he said. “That would help quite a bit. That would help mitigate the hit that we would take on the governor’s proposal.”

The district will also have to dip into the fund balance to help with the shortfall.

Until then, Jarpe will continue to meet with those teachers facing lay offs this week.

“We would hope that some of those eight can be called back,” he said. “Again, that depends on where we can realize some savings in other areas of the budget.”