Toms River Needs Its State School Funding Back From The Desk Of The Mayor Mo Hill

Last week I traveled to Trenton to advocate before the Senate Budget and Appropriations for the restoration of school funding that had been cut from Governor Murphy’s budget. The trip was a success as the Senate voted to restore $9.5 million of the $14.4 million of Toms River Regional Schools state aid. My administration is working with the Board of Education and Superintendent Michael Citta to restore the rest of the funding. Rest assured, we will not let Toms River schools fail.

The following are excerpts of my remarks in Trenton:

Toms River Regional has suffered over $60 million in cuts via S-2 over the last five years. Spending has already been cut to the bone. Our class sizes are already too high at 30 students per class. Our surplus and emergency funds are gone. This year we are paying some teachers’ salaries with federal COVID funds, which as you know, will not be recurring. Along with several other school districts we have requested the release of the S-2 formula and data however that information has not been provided. It is increasingly difficult to explain these severe cuts to our students, parents, teachers, staff and residents without that data.

Our district serves 4 municipalities, Beachwood, Pine Beach, South Toms River and Toms River serving over 111,600 residents and has an enrollment of approximately 14,600 students. Toms River has over 95,000 residents and is the 8th largest city in New Jersey. Our median household income is a little over $85,000.

Our superintendent and Board of Education are now faced with cutting extracurricular programs and staff, like our excellent athletic programs. The 2022 Toms River North Mariners were the first football team in the history of New Jersey to go 14-0 while winning the State Class 5 Championship, setting the all-time scoring record and finishing #3 in the State - the highest ranking of any NJ public high school. The majority of the players are returning for the 2023 season and the cuts could affect the coaching staff. Neither Superintendent Mike Citta nor I want to see that happen as it penalizes these student athletes.

I don’t believe that this is what you intended when you passed S-2. But S-2 doesn’t work and it is driving good school districts to the brink of bankruptcy.

This problem cannot be solved by increasing property taxes. The district is constitutionally prohibited from raising property taxes by more than 2% to meet the thorough and efficient threshold, even if the tax payers consented via referendum because thorough and efficient is prohibited from being put to referendum.

I understand that the S-2 formula punishes districts that were overfunded in the past. Punishing children and teachers today, in 2023, for mistakes made by administrators, on both the State and local level 10-15 years ago makes no sense. It is cruel and ridiculous. It cannot be what the legislature intended when S-2 was passed.

I also understand that S-2 has a vaguely defined wealth test that steers more money to poorer districts and away from wealthier districts. Toms River Regional is not a wealthy district. It is a middle class district based on our median household income.

I’ve been told that property values are a component of the wealth test. Like much of the Jersey Shore, our real estate values soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as people fled New York. But these increased real estate values do not translate into increased tax dollars for education.

Enrollment is a key factor of the S-2 formula, as it should be. Toms River’s enrollment declined, especially after Superstorm Sandy. We were ground zero of Sandy. Here we are 11 years later and we are still recovering, but we are almost fully recovered and we are more resilient. Our enrollment is starting to grow and we have an influx of ELL and SE students enrolling in the district.

Enrollment in Toms River Schools has decreased 7% since the implantation of S-2, but our State funding has been cut by 55%.

Toms River Regional is one of the most efficient of the thorough and efficient districts in the State. We spend less than $14,000 per student. Our graduation rate is 93% and our test score are high. We receive a little over $2,200/student while districts smaller than ours receive between $35-40,000/student. Ocean County is the 3rd fastest growing county in the State and yet 19 of our 31 districts received cuts in their State school aid this year.

I encourage you to pass S-3732. I encourage you to reform the education formula which has left our district with a structural deficit. We have no way to legally close the gap.

New Jersey needs a school funding formula that is transparent, easy to understand, and that is fair to all children and communities in the State.