Seaside Heights school could stay open five more years under sweetened Toms River deal

TOMS RIVER - Seaside Heights' Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School would stay open for the next five years under an amended merger proposal for Toms River Regional and the Seaside Heights school district.

The change was included in a Feb. 27 letter sent by Toms River Regional Board of Education Attorney William Burns to Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer, which also asks the commissioner to approve an April 16 referendum date for the merger.

The initial merger petition submitted by Toms River Regional and Seaside Heights called for the Boyd School, which has an enrollment of about 200 kids in grades pre-K to sixth, to be closed at the end of this school year. But Burns' letter states that concern about the potential closure has created "uncertainty" for students, parents and staff

Parents' reactions: Protest as Seaside Heights pushes for vote on schools merger with Toms River

Seaside Heights is seeking to leave the Central Regional school district in Berkeley and join Toms River Regional. Central Regional, which opposes the merger, responded to Burns' letter on Feb. 29, saying the education department does not have the legal authority to allow an April 16 referendum.

Eric Harrison, the attorney representing Central, contends the April date is set aside for school districts that have not moved their regular elections to November. The remaining dates established by the state for special school elections are March 12 or Sept. 24, Harrison wrote.

School fight! Toms River, Central Regional battle over who gets Seaside Heights

"Throughout this process, all the actions and efforts by TRRS (Toms River Regional Schools), the Borough of Seaside Heights, and the Seaside Heights Board of Education have been guided by what is best for kids," Burns wrote in his letter. "Consistency, whether instruction, curriculum, or attendance, is a critical component of successful primary and secondary education. Consistency reduces anxiety, stress, and fear of the unknown.

"Through no fault of the kids attending TRRS and Seaside Heights, the process has created uncertainty concerning Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School. To eliminate the uncertainty and maintain consistency TRRS, the Borough of Seaside Heights, and the Board of Education of Seaside Heights have agreed that if the referendum is authorized by you and approved by the voters, Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School will remain open for the 2024-2025 school year and up to four years thereafter, contingent upon enrollment," Burns added.

Voters in both Seaside Heights and Toms River Regional will have to approve a merger referendum in order for the two districts to combine. Toms River, Pine Beach, South Toms River and Beachwood are part of the regional district.

Seaside Heights news: Polar plunge brings biggest crowd ever, record cash for Special Olympics

Burns' letter also asks the commissioner to approve a new structure for the Toms River Regional school board if the districts merge. The current nine-member board would be replaced by an 11-member board. Toms River, would go from six members on the present board to seven representatives on an expanded board.

Seaside Heights, Pine Beach, South Toms River and Beachwood would each have one representative.

The Toms River Regional and Seaside Heights school boards had initially hoped to hold a referendum on March 12, but the districts have not yet received state approval for the vote, making it impossible to move forward with the March date.

It is not clear when the commissioner will make a decision on the districts' request.

School money: Governor Murphy's state budget addresses public school funding around Jersey Shore

Central's opposition to the merger could also delay the vote further. Central has argued that Boyd students get a better education in their neighborhood school than they will at a larger school "across the bridge" in Toms River.

Central Regional has said it is undertaking its feasibility study. It has proposed combining with neighboring Ocean Gate Elementary School to create a pre-kindergarten-to-12th grade regional district that could eventually include all five of Central's constituent towns. A pre-K-to-12 Central district would allow the Boyd School to remain open; Harrison said.

New COVID rules: CDC shortens COVID-19 isolation period. What to know about new guidelines

In his Feb. 29 letter, Harrison said that Toms River's and Seaside Heights' decision to keep the Boyd school open "demonstrates the lack of any urgency based on the needs of students," giving the commissioner time to review the merger petition, as well as Central's proposal to expand to a K-12 school district.

About 14,600 students attend Toms River Regional's 18 schools. Central's enrollment is about 2,400.

Central, located in Berkeley, educates children in grades 7-12 at its intermediate school and high school. Kids from Berkeley, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park attend Central for the upper grades, after graduating from their local elementary schools.

Declining enrollment led to the closure of Seaside Park's elementary school in 2010. Seaside Park children can go to Toms River Regional or Lavallette for elementary school, and Central Regional for intermediate and high school.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and writes about issues related to Superstorm Sandy. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle,  jmikle@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seaside Heights school could stay open 5 years under Toms River merger