TOMS RIVER, NJ — Amid severe funding cuts, the Toms River Regional School District has pursued legal action against the New Jersey Department of Education, claiming these fiscal reductions prevent them from providing students with an adequate education. The lawsuit, lodged in Superior Court in Ocean County, targets the imbalances created by the state’s funding reductions under legislation known as S2, enacted in 2018.
The district alleges the reduced funding has undercut its operation, leaving it significantly short of the financial resources deemed necessary under the 2008 School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) to equip students with essential educational resources. The legal challenge not only seeks rectification of these inequities but also a comprehensive review of the SFRA itself.
The repercussions of the financial cuts are detailed extensively in the court documents, highlighting a decline in student performance, including a marked drop in proficiency rates across state assessments. Between the 2016-17 and 2022-23 school years, the district reported an 11% decrease in English and a 9% decline in math proficiency rates. The lawsuit specifies alarming statistics, including over 2,100 elementary and middle school students falling two or more grade levels behind in English Language Arts and similarly dismal figures in mathematics.
Moreover, the district has experienced a rise in absenteeism and behavioral problems, with incidences of chronic absenteeism rising 10% since 2016-17 and conduct referrals increasing by 35% within the same period. These challenges are compounded by an insufficient provision of essential academic supports, due to budget constraints, crucial for students who are economically disadvantaged or have additional language needs.
The funding drama traces back to a 2017 agreement between former state Senate President Steve Sweeney and then-Governor Chris Christie, which envisaged cuts as part of a broader negotiation. While intended as a temporary adjustment, the district argues that these cuts have persisted unjustly, contributing towards a significant educational and financial crisis within the district.
Since the enactment of S2, Toms River Regional School District has seen a staggering $193 million cut in aid, leading to over 350 job reductions, including 214 classroom positions. The financial strain prompted the district to propose selling various properties as a stop-gap to manage the deficit, highlighting the severity and desperation of the financial situation.
Superintendent Michael Citta and district attorney William Burns have outlined these strains publicly, expressing their frustrations over the ongoing financial challenges and the state’s perceived negligence in revisiting the funding formula. They argue that increased demands from rising enrollment and special education needs further exacerbate the funding inadequacy.
In their legal filing, the district emphasized the SFRA’s aim to stipulate funding levels essential for fulfilling New Jersey State Learning Standards. Yet, according to their claim, the state’s application of the formula has led to a structural deficit, preventing the district from closing its adequacy gap with each passing year.
As this legal battle unfolds, the district holds on to hope for a resolution that would bring sustainable financial support back to Toms River’s schools, essential for ensuring that its students receive the quality education necessary for productive citizenship in today’s society.