LISBON — The School Department needs new buses, Superintendent Richard Green told the School Committee on Monday night, in part because the state requires that homeless students be transported no matter where they live.

School van replacements are scheduled over the next few years, but vehicles are being maxed out and purchasing replacements has to be taken into consideration in the budget, Green said.

“There is $28,000 in lease purchase amounts that will be coming off the books that can be used to purchase one or both of those buses,” Green said.

Green also reported there is a big push at the state level to increase general aid so education won’t be flat funded, Green said.

“I’m feeling more confident than not,” he said. Locally, Lisbon’s decrease in enrollment and budget decrease from last year is impacting Lisbon’s subsidy from the state.

“It own’t make up the whole $478,000, but I feel (the state subsidy) will be moved back in as (the Legislature) moves forward,” Green said.

Under conditions of the audit report, Lisbon schools have to put together a correction plan by March 21. “We’ve had to do this in the past,” Green told the committee. 

The committee will hold a workshop with the Town Council on Thursday to review the report.

Green commended staff and administrators in finalizing requirements for the audit.

The School Department was unable to renegotiate electrical rates along with the town because of its contract signed September, Green said. The contract expires in November 2017.

Historically, graduation has been on a Sunday, but because of the new high school gym, it can be on any day, Green said. It will be kept on Sunday until he hears back from the graduation committee, he said.

In other business, it was reported that the School Spirit Challenge “was an unbelievable success,” Chairman Traci Austin told the School Committee.

“It was nice to see the level of competition,” she said. The classes that brought in the most items won points for their activities, she said.

In other business the committee:

* Voted 5-0 to approve the proposed school calendar for 2016-17.

* Voted 5-0 in separate actions to nominate an assistant baseball coach at Lisbon High School; a unified basketball coach at the high school; an educational technician II at Philip W. Sugg Middle School; an educational technician II at Lisbon Community School; and a wrestling coach at Philip W. Sugg School.

* Was notified of the following retirements, effective at the end of the school year: Nancy Fournier, bus driver; Margaret Frankenberger, administrative secretary at Lisbon High School; Marcia Sullivan, baker at Lisbon High School; Irene Tobin, bus driver; Sonya Mitchell, cook/manager at Lisbon Community School.

* Received a resignation from Thor Smith, an academic support teacher at the high school, effective Feb 12.