Indiana school districts have been put on notice that the state budget crunch may soon come to them and that they should hold off on major expenditures.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett told districts around the state in a conference call Thursday that the newest state revenue numbers would be far off forecasts and that money could be short even for education.

He advised districts not make major expenditures — including signing new collective bargaining agreements with teachers — until they knew what their money would look like for the next year.

“Dr. Bennett informed the superintendents nothing is off the table, though no decisions have been made yet,” spokeswoman Lauren Auld said. “Before they consider big-ticket items, they might consider waiting.”

Dennis Costerison, director of the Indiana Association of School Business Officials, said school districts are worried and but that most expenses are contractually locked in through the end of the school year.

Most districts spend more than 90 percent of their money on salaries and benefits, Costerison said. And when it comes to teachers and administrators, state law bars districts from making changes to those agreements until the end of the school year. That leaves things like supplies, training and utilities to cut.

“There’s a lot of energy efficiencies going on, but you still have to keep those buildings warm as we head into winter,” he said. “There’s only so much Elmer’s glue you can cut, so much travel you can cut, so much professional development you can cut.”

The state is warning against signing new contracts with teacher unions because those contracts often involve pay raises or other financial commitments the districts may not be able to pay if the state cuts education funding.