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On Friday, March 8, Acting New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer approved Seaside Heights merging with the Toms River Regional school district.
The Central Regional School District had petitioned against the merger, but Dehmer said that Seaside Heights is closer in proximity to Toms River, so transportation will be cheaper and more time-efficient. He also said the merger would be unlikely to "increase or exacerbate the segregation of students by racial, socioeconomic, disability, or multi-language learner status."
Students from Seaside Heights have been attending Central Regional District's schools since 1956. Located in Bayville, the district serves students in grades 7 to 12 from Berkeley Township, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Ocean Gate, and Island Heights.
An April 16 referendum vote has been scheduled for Seaside Heights and Toms River voters.
If approved, the merger would take effect for the 2024-25 school year, however, Seaside Heights' only elementary school — Boyd Elementary — will remain open for at least another five years, Dehmer said.
Central Regional School District's attorney Eric Harrison released the following statement:
"Central Regional is shocked that the Acting Commissioner made such an important decision so quickly without further study of numerous factors likely to affect Seaside Heights students for many years - factors which are not resolved by Toms River's 11th hour commitment to keep Boyd Elementary School open, subject to a stipulation involving student enrollment which we suspect will result in the school closing much sooner than five years from now."
"We are surprised the Commissioner was so willing to allow the dissolution of over 65 years of history, and to tear apart Central Regional just to bail out Toms River Regional because of budgetary issues.
"While we also believe that holding a vote in April on this referendum would violate applicable election laws, we will await word from the Ocean County Board of Elections on that issue before taking any further action."
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