(AP) --
South Carolina school officials would likely use the $143 million its expects to get from a jobs bill approved by Congress to stave off layoffs next year rather than rehire the thousands of teachers recently laid off.
Education Department spokesman Jim Foster said Tuesday the agency surveyed the state's superintendents about how they would spend the money.
About half the superintendents responded and some
said they may rehire one or two positions, but none planned a wholesale rehiring of teachers after the school year begins.
Last year, South Carolina schools cut 2,200 jobs, including 1,400 teachers. For the current school year, the Education Department has estimated as many as 3,800 additional employees have been or will be cut. As many as 2,500 of those would be teachers.
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