(WSBT) Michigan public schools don't start until after Labor Day, but many of them are facing an uncertain future because of the state's money problems. In Niles, money issues may impact the way kids learn. The district needs updated buildings, better technology, improvements in security; but all those changes cost money.

Now administrators are stuck in a spot where they're forced to make cuts rather than improvements, because they aren't getting any help from the state or from local taxpayers.

Niles Superintendent Doug Law is calling it a crisis. He says the school district's money situation is the worst it's ever been.

"What is unusual this year, different than any other year I ever remember, is we have absolutely no idea where things are going to end up," he said.

Michigan lawmakers haven't approved a budget — making it tough for school administrators to know where they stand. In Niles, taxpayers shot down two bond proposals in two years.

Judy Truesdell went door-to-door, drumming up support for the last bond proposal that eventually failed.

"Without education we are not going to be able to grow in our community," Truesdell told WSBT.

Truesdell put her daughter through the Niles school system, but she's unsure what the future holds for her granddaughters.

"Just like we're responsible for paying a mortgage payment here in our home, we're also responsible for buildings or additions to buildings within our school system," she said.

Niles Superintendent Doug Law says the school continually tries to continually update their curriculum and improve technology. He also says many of those projects are on hold. But those projects and problems are tough to ignore. Teachers and students are faced with poor lighting and crumbling structures.

One of the biggest concerns is safety. For example, once somebody walks inside Northside Child Development Center, they have to pass six classrooms before they make it to the main office. Superintendent Law says it's time for the community to step up.

"Somehow we've got to help them understand that for the health of our community, economic development and certainly for our kids, we have to step up and modernize our buildings in some way," Law told WSBT.

He says the district's already cut consultants, counselors and laid off one teacher. They also made reductions in athletics and supply accounts.

"There's big things that are left. It's your teachers, it's athletic programs, transportation. It's those big things that we've been able to avoid at this point."

Law says those larger cuts are not something he sees happening immediately, but they're always a possibility. As far as getting money from the state, he says he's heard schools could face more budget cuts, or they could receive up to a 3 percent increase in funding.

Michigan's state budget year starts October 1 — a month after students go back — but the final budget might not be approved by then.

It's up to the school board to ask the taxpayers for help again; but when asked if a third proposal is on the table, Law says "no." After taxpayers voted against the last bond proposal, he told the school board not to even put it on their agenda or talk about it until their long range planning meeting scheduled for the fall.

He says the board is both concerned and frustrated with the situation.