More than 500 teachers in Marion County may lose their jobs this year. But U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, says there's still hope.

Nelson says the state could get around $2.2 billion for education that would go directly to the local school districts. He says that money can be used for teaching jobs. But the money is non-recurring.

In order to qualify for the money the state must prove that it is supporting education. However, the state passed a smaller education budget this year than it did in 2006 which could make that task difficult. Senator Nelson said he hopes to get a waiver for the qualification due to Florida's economic situation.