Wake County Schools will decide today which school projects will have to be put on hold due to the economy.

The school system is now getting $256 million but that's $114 million less than expected. That's because the county cannot sell the bonds needed to fund projects so something has to give.

Wake County is projecting a $17-million shortfall in its operating budget and has enacted a hiring freeze; meaning major cut-backs on projects.

Current construction projects could come to a halt, future construction could be delayed and funding requests for things like technology may be out of the question for now.

Today school officials are expected to make recommendations to school board members about what projects can be postponed.

School officials have been looking over a list of 45 building and renovation projects they wanted to fund through bonds passed in 2006.

"We will be evaluating the impact on students, the impact on student assignments, and obviously the cost of delaying a project," said Don Haydon, with Wake County Public School System.

And with those cuts comes more uncertainty for students.

Instead of letting them know where they'll go to class for the next three years, school officials are only expecting to offer a one-year assignment plan draft by November.

"I think it would be misleading to put out to the community that in this year, your child is going to go to this school if there's any question at all that the schools necessary for that are going to be available or not," said Chuck Dulaney, Wake County Assistant Superintendent.

For example, work on a school like River Bend Elementary, scheduled to open in 2009, is far enough along that it probably won't get cut.

Officials say projects still in the design or land acquisition phases may have to wait.

"I would think that some of this list would be some of the schools we have yet to break ground on. We might be looking at some system wide things like not painting or replacing a roof," said Patti Head, Wake County School Board Member.

Wake Tech Community College will also see a $28 million drop in funding from the county. Board of Trustee members will also learn Tuesday which one of the school's expansion projects will have to be cut.