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CHARLOTTE -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is set to get $85 million in federal stimulus funds, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Projections show that CMS would be given just more than $28 million in fiscal year 2009 and more than $56 million in fiscal year 2010. The money comes at a time when the state wants CMS to return millions of dollars from this year's budget and Superintendent Dr. Peter Gorman is in the process of laying off more than 500 employees.

But whether the system can use the funding to buy back positions lost in the budget cuts is still up in the air.

"[Gorman] will have the flexibility to make sure no instructional personnel are impacted through that," Mary McCray, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Teacher's Association, said.

McCray said the stimulus money should help lessen the blow of layoffs, including teachers.

"We're definitely trying to get some clarification on whether teacher assistants will be included in this," McCray said.

But according to the state department of education, the federal dollars are set aside for low-income schools and disabled students. School board members say they're not sure how much flexibility they have, or if the money will save the hundreds of teaching jobs on the chopping block.

"It should be more than enough money to offset the $3.8 million the superintendent would give back to the state," McCray said. "It just depends on if the superintendent will use it that way."

Gorman wasn't available to comment on the system's share of the stimulus money.

Several school board members said over the phone that they're not sure at this point what the $85 million will do for staff and teachers. But they said it will come with strings attached.