Superintendent says Toms River will not vote on budget as district faces multimillion‑dollar shortfall

The Toms River Regional School District Board of Education on May 14 decided not to hold a scheduled vote on the district budget after the superintendent told the board and public the district remains short millions for the 2024–25 school year.

"We are now in a $26.5 million revenue shortfall moving into the 24–25 school year," the superintendent said, describing roughly $137 million in cuts over the last seven years and warning that cuts of that magnitude would eliminate hundreds of staff positions and many non‑mandated programs. He asked the board secretary to remove agenda item 11 — the budget vote — from the agenda and said the district had not yet been approved or rejected by the State Department of Education.

The superintendent also outlined a law signed by the governor earlier that day. He said the measure would restore about 45% of this year’s aid reductions (he gave $2.8 million as the total recent cut to the district and estimated a $1.2 million restoration) and would allow districts to exceed the usual 2% tax levy cap. "That law allows you to raise it up to 99.9%," he said, adding that the combination of partial aid restoration and levy increases still fell short of what the district says it needs to maintain current programs.

Why it matters: Board members warned the funding gap threatens classroom programs, extracurriculars and staffing. Several board members said they would resist approving new expenditures while the district lacks an approved, balanced budget. The superintendent and board said they will continue to press state lawmakers and Department of Education officials for guidance and additional aid.

Board reaction was mixed. Board member Morrison explained he would vote "no" on nonpublic contract approvals while the district lacked a balanced budget, saying he could not approve additional expenditures in that context. Board member Egan urged the community to accept local revenue measures if that is what it takes to allow the district to educate students, saying the district has been operating below adequacy for years.

Numbers cited from the meeting: the superintendent described $137 million in cuts over seven years, a $26.5 million projected shortfall for 2024–25, a $2.8 million recent cut with an estimated $1.2 million restoration under the new law, and an example figure of an additional $13 million that could be raised under a large levy increase; the transcript also includes board references to being approximately $91–$92 million below adequacy in long‑term funding discussion. (Those figures were presented by speakers in the meeting.)

What’s next: The board said it will await specific instructions from the Department of Education about applying the new law and will continue outreach to state legislators. The superintendent repeated his intention to "continue to work" to find a solution and to keep the public informed. The board removed the budget vote from the agenda for the night.