Toms River Regional Schools is a comprehensive regional public school district primarily located in the quickly growing coastal community of Toms River, located in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, along the state's Jersey Shore.
To raise money for the schools, the district created Toms River Fest, a major festival held during the summer in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
"[6] When Central Regional High School opened in September 1956, sending/receiving relationships under which students from Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Lacey Township, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park attended the district's schools for grades 7-12 were ended.
To address the overcrowding, a March 1975 bond referendum was proposed to raise $15 million—the largest ever in county history—for construction of a third high school, which was rejected by a margin of nearly a 1,000 votes.
[13] Opened at a time of rising energy prices, the building was designed so that each classroom had only two windows in order to reduce heat loss through the glass.
In 2017, the Appellate Division affirmed a decision by the New Jersey Department of Education allowing students from Seaside Park the option of attending school for grades K-6 in either Toms River or in the Lavallette School District, under the terms of a dual sending/receiving relationship.
The Lavallette district had actively supported the proposal when the original petition was submitted in 2015 and the Appellate Division rejected the objections raised by the Toms River district, noting that no protest had been made when Seaside Park had submitted its original petition.
Schools in the district (with 2019-20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[21]) are:[22][23][24] Core members of the district's administration are:[43][44] Frank J. Roselli assumed the role of interim superintendent of schools on October 21, 2010,[45] following the sudden retirement of longtime superintendent Michael J. Ritacco, who earlier that day surrendered to the FBI and was charged in an 18-count fraud indictment.
Ritacco was accused and ultimately convicted of accepting between one and two million dollars in bribes from the school district's insurance broker.
[48] Michael S. Citta, who was Principal of Toms River High School South, was named as superintendent in February 2022.
Amongst other events, the Bennett Complex has hosted the track meet component of the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (for indoor athletics only), 2013, and 2014.