schools are still waiting on millions

Alaska school districts, including the Anchorage School District and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, are set to receive up to $115 million in one-time state funding this year tied to high oil prices, but the state will not finalize the amount until August 31, under the state budget passed this spring.

That timing matters for parents and students because the final number arrives roughly two weeks after classes resume in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and other large districts. The Anchorage School District could see as much as $32.2 million, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough district up to $10.2 million, money that districts say would go toward hiring teachers and aides and shrinking class sizes.

School board members from both Anchorage and Fairbanks are asking the state for at least a preliminary estimate by mid-July, rather than waiting until the end of summer, so districts can make hiring decisions before deadlines pass.

The funding depends partly on oil revenue, which has become less certain. Alaska North Slope oil prices have fallen about a third since spring. Budget analysts say most or all of the funding will likely still come through, with a clearer picture expected within a couple of weeks.