The fate of the only school in Seaside Heights was being decided Tuesday by voters in five Jersey Shore towns. A referendum asked voters in Seaside Heights, Toms River, Beachwood, Pine Beach and South Toms River if the Seaside Heights School District should merge with the Toms River Regional School District.
Seaside Heights School District has one school, Hugh J. Boyd Elementary, which serves 184 students in grades K-6. If the referendum is approved, the school would remain open for five more years, or until enrollment drops below 125 students. If voters reject the measure, the school would remain open indefinitely and students would continue to be sent to Central Regional for middle school and high school.
Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz, who supports the merger, said it would save the small borough $9 million within 10 years for not having to run the school district amid shrinking enrollment. “All in all, it’s a win-win situation for our taxpayers and the community,” Vaz said.
But local teachers argue future Seaside Heights students will lose out on the benefits of a neighborhood school if they have to be sent to Toms River. “It’s a landmark, it has been here for years,” said Sherie Ensor, the co-president of the Seaside Heights Education Association. “It provides so many services for our students that we fear they might not get over the bridge.”
Michael Citta, the superintendent of the Toms River Regional School District, said his district stands to gain up to $40 million in tax revenue over the next decade by taking in the Seaside Heights students. Central Regional School District, meanwhile, stands to lose about $3 million annually if it doesn’t have the Seaside Heights students coming in, according to district officials.
