Schools, Taxes, COVID-19: What 2021 Has In Store For Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — With the holidays behind us, Monday brings a return to school for students and teachers and for many people, a return to work. The kickoff of 2021 brings with it a number of issues from 2020, however.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to affect so many areas of life, and likely will for much of the year. Its impact will be felt locally on businesses, on schools and on the township as a whole.

Here's an update on the coronavirus numbers for Toms River and a look ahead at what municipal and school district officials will be dealing with in 2021.

Coronavirus update

The number of cases and number of deaths from the coronavirus have continued to rise in Toms River, as they have across New Jersey.

Ocean County remains in the orange "high risk" category due to the rates of transmission of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, Ocean County had 33,551 cases, up 2,659 from 30,892 on Dec. 27. Toms River 502 new cases in that time, with 5,565, up from 5,063 on Dec. 27, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

As of Sunday, there have been more than 492,000 cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey since March, including 3,676 new ones reported Sunday, according to the state Department of Health COVID-19 website. As of Saturday, 3,521 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, with 669 in intensive care and 462 patients on ventilators, according to the state COVID-19 website.

Deaths in Ocean County have risen from 1,057 as of Nov. 29 to 1,298, and Toms River has seen an increase from 179 to 226.

Schools, funding and COVID-19

The Toms River Regional School District resumes the school year with hybrid instruction. The district started the school year with remote instruction with teachers in the classroom, and returned students to the classroom in groups by age, with high school students returning shortly before Thanksgiving.

The district shifted to remote instruction briefly due to a spike in cases, but returned to its hybrid for two weeks leading into winter break.

The district also returns from break with Thomas Gialanella serving as the interim superintendent, replacing David Healy who retired as of Jan. 1. Gialanella will be faced with the coronavirus impact but also with guiding the district through what could be a disastrous budget process, due to S2, the pandemic and pending changes from the state regarding health insurance.

Under S2, the law that has dictated cuts to school districts deemed to be receiving more than their fair share of school funding, Toms River is anticipated to see a cut of at least $7 million. As the same time, S2 requires Toms River to increase its property tax levy because the district is under adequacy, meaning it does not spend what the state says is necessary for a thorough and efficient education. The increase is capped at 2 percent.

The impact of a state law referred to as Chapter 44, which requires districts to provide a health benefits package to educators, could be costly as Toms River rolls out the program that is expected to save the district money in the long run. Up front, however, the cost could be $1 million, adding to the district's financial stresses.

The school board is scheduled to hold its reorganization meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, at which time Lisa Contessa, Ashley Palmiere and Michele Williams will be sworn in. An executive session is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.

Township update

The Toms River Township Council is scheduled to hold its reorganization meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

It will kick off a year that more than likely will continue to be contentious, as the terms of four council members — Daniel Rodrick, Terrance Turnbach, Laurie Huryk and Maria Maruca — are up. Rodrick, Turnbach and Huryk ran together as Democrats in 2017, but not long after Rodrick split from Turnbach and Huryk and changed his party affiliation to Republican.

Rodrick has been at odds with the rest of the council for the last three years, and that conflict is likely to continue during the upcoming election season.

The township will be hoping to complete the purchase of the former Joey Harrison's Surf Club property in cooperation with the state Department of Environmental Protection's Blue Acres program and with Ocean County, where the freeholders agreed to buy land from Toms River, which would provide the funds needed to complete the Surf Club purchase.

The county agreed to pay $1.8 million for parcels near Ocean County College and Cattus Island County Park in early December, the Asbury Park Press reported, following weeks of wrangling.

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