schools are still waiting on millions

And the answer won't land until after class is back in session.

Alaska schools are set to get up to a hundred and fifteen million dollars in one-time money this year, riding on high oil prices. For Fairbanks and Anchorage, that's a big deal after years of tightening budgets.

Here's the catch. The state won't decide exactly how much actually comes through until the last day of August. That's about two weeks after kids in Fairbanks and Anchorage are already back in their classrooms.

Anchorage's district could see as much as thirty-two million, and the Fairbanks borough as much as ten. That kind of money hires teachers and aides and shrinks class sizes, but only if districts know it's coming before the hiring deadlines pass.

For a parent, that's the difference between a packed classroom and one with a little more breathing room. That's why school board members from both towns are asking the state for at least a ballpark number by the middle of July, instead of waiting until the end of summer.

The wrinkle is oil. Prices have slid about a third since the spring, so it's not fully locked in yet. Budget watchers think most or all of it will still be there, and they should have a clearer read within a couple of weeks.