TOMS RIVER – For the first time in years, the state aid that the Toms River Regional School District is receiving increased, but this is following seven years of cumulative decreases.
Much has already been written about the S-2 funding formula that the state used to redistribute aid to districts. Schools in Toms River, Jackson, and Lacey – among many others – lost millions and had to cut teachers and programs.
The state aid went from this year’s $28,180,559 to next year’s $29,871,392, an increase of $1,690,833. The increase is 6% because there is a new rule that no district can get more than 6%.
School Business Administrator William Doering said that if the new state aid wasn’t capped at 6%, they would be entitled to a significantly higher increase in funding.
There’s also a new guardrail that prevents any district from being cut more than 3% in aid. If this had been in place before S-2, the district would not have had so many difficult decisions to make in the past, he said.
The fact that, according to the new formula, 60% of districts should be receiving more than 6% aid increases shows that the state formula is faulty, Superintendent Michael Citta said.
The district has sued the state in relation to the aid cuts, and the suit will be amended to note the 6% increase cap, he said.
Going forward, the district will look to cut costs where possible, he said.
“There are no plans on selling school buildings or closing buildings,” he said. “Those tricks to keep us afloat are gone” after the district sells the administration building at 1144 Hooper Avenue to the county.
Even though state aid is increasing, other costs for the district are increasing as well, such as special education and utilities, Doering noted.
The state requires public school districts to reimburse private school parents for transportation costs, and there are 500 additional nonpublic students expected in the 2025-6 school year, he said.
The district’s health insurance provider is expected to increase costs by 10%, but the state health plan is looking at a 14% increase, so the district is seeing a lower increase.
A citizens budget advisory meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on April 2 in the Toms River High School North media center
A public hearing on the budget is expected at Toms River High School North’s auditorium at 5:30 p.m. on April 30. After the public hearing, board members have the option to adopt the budget.
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