Feb. 21, 2025- During the Superintendent's Comments portion of Wednesday evening’s Toms River School Board meeting, Michael Citta announced that the district has entered into negotiations with Ocean County on the sale of its business office building at 1144 Hooper Ave. The prospective sale—the multi-purpose building has been appraised for more than $16 million—would eliminate the remaining $12.4 million needed to balance this year’s budget, a sizable remnant of the fiscal cliff imposed by State Bill S2.

“This move and this sale provides the stability that we need for this 2024-2025 school year for all staff in Toms River Regional Schools,” Citta said. “It also guarantees the fulfillment of all student programs.”

To that end, North Dover Elementary School will begin housing the Early Learning Center program, which currently takes place at 1144, in September at the advent of the 2025-2026 school year. The move is viewed as a win-win, as the young learners will move from a corporate center to a school setting, while the business center will remain a taxpayer asset and an infinitely better option than breaking new ground should Ocean County agencies need to expand in the near or distant future.

“With the sale of the building to an Ocean County government agency,” Citta said, “the taxpayer asset remains a taxpayer asset.”

The transaction would indeed stabilize the district for the remainder of this school year. Regarding the prospects for a long-term budget solution entering the 2025-2026 school year, Superintendent Citta said he's "a lot more confident" than he's been in years past, citing the NJDOE taking public input on changes that need to be made to address a flawed funding formula, and the fact that Toms River leaders have had a seat at the table in these ongoing discussions.

Prior to the announcement, Citta invited local business owner Dominic Farro to the stage to thank him for his donation of fleeces for all staff members, and to present him with a plaque acknowledging his generosity. There were also many student awards doled out—especially to the district's young and talented musicians. View a photo gallery from the February board meeting here.