LISBON — Superintendent Richard Green outlined the School Committee’s budget priorities for 2017-18 Monday night, saying the goal is to have a preliminary spending plan close to or under that of this fiscal year.

The priorities include maintaining all programs, staff, improvements, the five-year capital plan and focusing on the school system’s vision. Also included is prioritizing program and facility improvements.

Green also discussed buying bigger quantities of items such as pencils and whiteboard markers and having them available to all schools and teachers. Teachers would have the items available to them in the office and would not have to store a large number in their classrooms.

“If one school runs out of an item, then another school can run down and give them that same item,” Green said.

Any specialty items that are curriculum related that a teacher wants would have to go through the curriculum leaders and be prioritized.

Green said he wants to pull the art money out of the building line in the budget so there is a set amount for the art department.

“There’s no new money,” he said. “It would just be pulling the money out and saying, ‘This is just for you.’”

School Committee Chairwoman Traci Austin expressed concern about the low number of elective courses at the high school.

Green suggested one alternative would be to shorten classes from 78 minutes to 57 minutes. 

Even though this suggestion would shorten English and math classes, Austin said it could also increase these courses because a student could take an English or math elective.

The committee also discussed the proposal to replace equipment that is over 40 years old.

A new boiler will be replaced at the high school, a heat recovery ventilator will be installed at the middle school and all univents and pneumatic controls will be replaced at these schools and the Central Office.

The majority of this work will be paid through energy savings.

Green urged members to look over the proposal. A formal vote will take place at the next committee meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Central Office. If passed, the proposal will go to voters in June.