There were past economic downturns when the South Butler School Board's decision to put an indefinite hold on its high school renovation project would have been seen as an overreaction. Indeed, the board's action to delay renovation and enlargement of Knoch High School still could be judged in that way, if construction costs spiral in the months ahead and make the $10 million project much more expensive.

Nevertheless, it's understandable that the slowing state and national economies, coupled with challenges that local taxpayers are facing, would cause South Butler and others to put on hold large-scale, costly undertakings.

The same holds true for entities such as the Butler County Vocational-Technical School, whose joint operating committee three months ago put on hold a $13 million school-enlargement project.

The proposed vo-tech project involves construction of a single-story, 15,000-square-foot building on land between the Butler Senior High School natatorium and the 300 wing of the high school, as well as renovation of current buildings.

The South Butler project would add 27,000 square feet to the high school, renovate much of the school, and construct a separate building for maintenance.

Behind these two construction-delay decisions is concern over the fate of school subsidies and other government funds. While it's unlikely that there will be any significant state subsidy cut for the 2009-10 fiscal year, which begins July 1, there is concern that there might not be an increase, or just a minimal increase, at a time of great need.

South Butler has another big financial concern — the district will be dealing with as-yet-unknown financial obligations stemming from the currently unresolved teachers contract. District teachers, who went on strike earlier this year, are working under terms of a contract that expired June 30.

When the vo-tech operating committee put a hold on its project, it tied resumption to improvement in the bond market. But the operating committee also is aware of the financial challenges member districts face back home. And those districts contribute to the school's operation.

In such a bad economic climate, with many families being hit hard by layoffs, losses in investments, mortgage problems, and other hardships, taxing bodies should be avoiding tax increases whenever possible, even if some worthwhile ventures are put on hold.

The actions by South Butler and the vo-tech to delay their projects in hopes of better times represent such hold-the-line thinking.

But now is a time when many contractors, also feeling the troubled economy's weakening effects, are trying to line up additional work to ensure their stability, and might be willing to submit a lower bid in hopes of landing an additional big contract.

All considered, it must be hoped that both South Butler and the vo-tech school will be shown to have acted correctly in their decisions to take a wait-and-see approach. There are many who would say that erring on the side of caution always is the best policy.

Still, that might not prove best in this instance, and South Butler and the vo-tech must acknowledge that possibility.