Toms River schools set April 1 citizens budget meeting as tentative budget plans advance

The Board of Education of the Toms River Regional School District scheduled its Citizens Budget Advisory Committee meeting for April 1 at 5:30 p.m. at Toms River High School North’s media center, officials confirmed during the board’s budget and finance committee session.

Mister Dearing, who presented the 2026–27 budget calendar, said the district is targeting a tentative budget filing of March 19 to align with the board’s March 18 meeting. For planning purposes the district is assuming state aid will be flat; last year’s one‑time tax‑levy incentive aid of $1,000,000 creates a gap that planners expect to address in budget development rather than a much larger shortfall, Dearing said.

Board members discussed timing for the citizens advisory session and selected April 1 after weighing the chance of receiving final state aid notices. Dearing said historical timing for state aid notices has varied (late January through early March) but that the district expects to have sufficient information in advance of the advisory meeting.

The district asked residents to bring questions about budget priorities, funding and taxes to the April 1 meeting, which officials described as an opportunity to unpack the tentative budget across functional areas before the board finalizes decisions.

Clarifying details provided during the committee meeting included a target tentative budget filing date of March 19; the citizens advisory meeting date (April 1, 5:30 p.m.); an assumption of flat state aid for initial planning; and the one‑time $1,000,000 tax‑levy incentive aid from the prior year that must be replaced in ongoing revenue assumptions.

The committee closed with no formal votes on budget adoption; the board will revisit the calendar and tentative budget at upcoming meetings.