State education officials are determining how to spend $10 million in marijuana tax money targeted at reversing Colorado’s teacher shortages, according to The Denver Post.

The tax proceeds were earmarked by Gov. John Hickenlooper in his proposed 2018-19 budget to address the problems of hiring and retaining Colorado teachers.

“We are evaluating the specific needs and priorities we heard from the teacher shortage town halls conducted over the summer and looking to find programs where this infusion of dollars could create more systemic solutions for our rural schools,” Colorado Department of Education spokeswoman Gladis Gee told The Post.

The $10 million is from Colorado’s Marijuana Tax Cash Fund, created in 2014 by lawmakers, and is part of more than half a billion dollars in tax revenue generated by the industry since the first marijuana retail store opened its doors three-and-a-half years ago. The marijuana industry hit $1 billion in sales during the first eight months of 2017, producing more than $160 million in taxes and fees for critical Colorado services.

There as many as 3,000 unfilled teaching jobs across the state, with critical vacancies in rural areas. In determining where the $10 million will be spent, officials will place “significant focus” on those areas and the challenges they face in “attracting, retaining and developing the qualified teachers needed to support positive student outcomes,” according to the budget proposal.

The state education department and the governor’s staff are working together to identify how best to spend the money. A report on a spending strategic plan is expected this month.