Toms River committees report $1M in sponsorships and plan elevator bids, lighting upgrades

Toms River Regional School District committees met in May for brief budget-and-finance and buildings-and-grounds sessions during which board members reviewed purchasing materials, received an update on professional contracts and heard facilities staff lay out near-term maintenance and improvement work.

The committees were told the district’s sponsorship and rental revenues have reached roughly $1,000,000 for the year, a milestone that drew congratulatory reactions from board members. Board member Bill said a draft of recommended professional contracts—scheduled for the following week’s agenda—was distributed for review and confirmed that recommended engineering firms would be engaged on an as-needed basis without a retainer, with projects put out for quotes when work arises.

Facilities manager Mr. Siter told the buildings-and-grounds committee that work orders have been routine since the last meeting two weeks earlier but highlighted several items for follow-up. He said bids are being reissued for the South Toms River elevator, an issue that remains unresolved. He clarified the Intermediate South elevator had limited downtime caused by a switchboard part and emphasized that not all district buildings have redundant elevator service; the district uses classroom moves and nursing/evacuation plans to accommodate students who rely on stairs or wheelchairs when elevators are out.

Mr. Siter also discussed lighting upgrades for an expansive parking lot, noting a vendor quote that would cost a maximum of about $13,000 in fixtures if the district does not qualify for available rebates; district crews would perform the installation using enterprise funds if approved. He said the district is exploring rebate eligibility and expects staff to proceed once funding details are confirmed.

Athletic fields were another focus: Mr. Siter reported that High School East’s field is in notably good condition and described plans for High School North to be renovated through donations and work from local business partners, with South to follow. He emphasized efforts to create maintenance protocols to preserve the renovations long-term.

The committees reminded the public that comment is limited to three minutes per speaker under board policy 0167; with no speakers signed up, the meeting adjourned and members noted an upcoming awards night to celebrate students later in the week.