|
June 2009 April 2009 Congressman John Adler visited Hooper Ave. Elementary and brought good news of a $6.1 million dollar federal stimulus check for Toms River Regional Schools. Read all about his visit by clicking here. Budget Information: I am pleased to announce, for the third year in a row, a ZERO tax increase for Toms River Schools (Toms River, Beachwood and Pine Beach) and a slight increase for South Toms River of 1.5 cents. This comes as much needed relief during these unprecedented economic times. Surely, you have read about how many local districts have been coping with these tough economic situations. Some have been forced to layoff staff, end student programs, close schools and other drastic measures. Fortunately, Toms River Regional Schools’ excellent fiscal management and unique business model has provided alternate sources of revenue to supplement our budget and control the cost of services. Our solar initiative continues to pay off. Solar RECs (renewable energy credits) bring over a million dollars annually back to the budget. Other alternative funding projects provide revenue that is used to purchase items that otherwise would be added to the regular budget. These enterprise accounts have paid for renovations needed to provide for high school closed lunches and also paid for the purchase of technology equipment and buses, to name a few. This year, we constructed a lean budget with no new staff, programs or projects. As a direct result of these combined efforts, we have been able to maintain the lowest equalized tax rate, the second lowest per pupil cost and the seventh lowest administrative cost in the state of New Jersey. As Superintendent, I am fortunate to be able to give you this good news. As you know, the school budget vote will be held on April 21st. You will be receiving a personal letter from me under a separate mailing. The purpose of that letter is to provide you, the taxpayers, with the facts that you deserve in order to best make an informed decision.
Michael J. Ritacco
March 2009
We
would like to express our sincere appreciation to United Water
for their generous donation of $12,000 to fully fund the SAT
Online Prep program. This unique program is guided by certified
teachers and provides additional academic enrichment
opportunities to high school juniors during lunch periods. The
support and partnership of local businesses allows the district
to offer more programs to our students. English and math teachers have integrated SAT type questions into their curriculum in order to better prepare the students for the exam. Teachers also use the College Board sponsored Word of the Day exercise. This is an SAT sponsored activity where an actual SAT problems are sent to students and teachers. Many schools offer contests to engage student interest. The Board of Education was honored on January 20, 2009 for Board Appreciation Month. The students participated in the event with cards and letters, poems, and live performances from the High School North Cheerleaders, the High School East Color Guard, and the High School South Band. Established in 2002, the purpose of Board Appreciation Month is to demonstrate our gratitude for the time, energy, commitment and untiring efforts that a Board of Education contributes each year. Our board of education has over one hundred years of experience between them. We would like to thank our Board of Education for their service to the students, employees, and our community. Serving on the Board of Education takes a great deal of time and dedication in order to create policies and make informed decisions that are in the best interest of the students and our community.
Michael J. Ritacco
| |||
