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Toms River board approves Student Safety Data report and multiple consent items as budget waits on state review
Summary
The Toms River Regional School District board approved its semiannual Student Safety Data System report and several routine agenda items by roll call, while acknowledging the district's tentative budget was voted down and now awaits county and State Department of Education review.
The Toms River Regional School District Board of Education approved its semiannual Student Safety Data System (SSDS) report for the period July 1'Dec. 31, 2023 and cleared several consent agenda items at its July meeting.
Mr. Thomas presented the SSDS findings, reporting 181 total incidents during the reporting period: 73 acts of violence, 24 incidents of damage to property, four weapons incidents, 39 incidents of substance abuse and 41 confirmed incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB). The district also recorded 89 alleged HIB reports. Thomas said the district's partnerships with community organizations and in-school interventions helped produce year-over-year declines in several measures, including a 23% reduction in aggressive behavior, a 16% reduction in disruptive behavior, a 23% reduction in confirmed HIBs and an approximately 3% reduction in suspensions.
A motion to approve the SSDS report passed by roll call. The roll-call votes were recorded as: Capone yes; How yes; Kidney yes; Morrison yes; Pascarella yes; Palazo yes; Nardini yes; Egan yes.
The board also approved the district's annual submission to the county for the alternate method of compliance and certified the board secretary's report for May 2024. Personnel agenda items and education program items were approved by motion and roll call; several board members noted they voted against specific personnel subitems (18c and 18d) because the district has not finalized a budget and they did not want to encumber funds for winter/spring activities.
Board members and staff reiterated that agenda items 9'12, which related to the budget hearing, were removed from the evening's agenda pending county and state input after the board voted down the district's tentative budget earlier in July. Administrators said they have submitted a balanced budget to the county and the State Department of Education and are awaiting direction. They said schools are expected to open in September and that the district is pursuing options to preserve student programs, including possible liquidation of nonessential assets, but that no actions affecting student programs were planned at this time.
The meeting adjourned after public comment.
