WINDHAM – The Windham-Raymond School Department’s share of the federal Education Jobs Bill, a total of $860,000, will allow the district to fill teaching positions lost to budget cuts, according to Superintendent Sandy Prince.

Much of the news regarding local budgets has been negative for the past few years, forcing Windham-Raymond to cut 43 full-time positions in the current budget year alone. The federal stimulus is seen as a shot in the arm to local districts.

Prince said some of the money – $160,000 – will be spent immediately with the hiring of three teachers to handle increased enrollment. A kindergarten, third-grade and fifth-grade teacher will be added as soon as qualified candidates are found, Prince said last week.

The remaining $700,000 will be used sometime before the federally imposed deadline for spending the money occurs in September 2012.

“We absolutely love it. It’ll save jobs in the future and help with tax implications,” Prince said.

The school system doesn’t have the money yet, Prince said. Curriculum Director Chris Howell is preparing the application to be submitted to the state Department of Education. Education department spokesman David Connerty-Marin said Windham-Raymond’s share is based on the same property valuation-based formula used to distribute education funding.

“That’s how the money was taken away, that’s how it will be given back,” Connerty-Marin said regarding last year’s budget curtailment.