Should Toms River join NJ school transgender rule fight? That, state aid key to election

TOMS RIVER - School funding cuts have taken centerstage in Toms River Regional Board of Education races in recent years.

But this year, the debate over state regulations, particularly about whether parents should be notified if their child changes gender identity at school, have become part of the conversation.

Two incumbents, Michele Williams, who is running for a Toms River council seat, and Lisa Contessa, chose not to seek re-election. Incumbent Ashley Lamb is seeking her second three-year term on the board. School boards are nonpartisan. A trio of three-year terms are available, all representing Toms River.

Lamb, 37, a small business owner, said she believes the nine-member board has become more cohesive since selecting Mike Citta as superintendent — following a lengthy superintendent search — in 2022. Lamb, who supported Citta for the position, said he has brought a more positive "vibe" to the district.

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"The board is more cohesive than it’s ever been," she said. "It is obvious that there are people are on both sides of things, (but) each each and every board member does hold true to the nonpartisan school board. … I really feel like everyone works together."

Lamb is running on the "Vote Common Sense" slate with Diane Oxley, 69, a kindergarten teacher at Ocean Academy Charter School in Lakewood, and Paola Pascarella, 43, a veterinary technician at Northstar Animal Hospital.

Running on the "For the Students" slogan are James Capone, 46, who owns Capone's Gourmet Pizza and Pasta House in downtown Toms River, and LeRoy Marshall, 43, a Lakewood police captain. They did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

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Toms River is one of several Shore school districts who have suffered drastic cutbacks in state aid dating back to 2018, the new school-funding law known as S2 realigned the school funding formula in the state.

Toms River and other Jersey Shore districts have long objected to the formula, which has shifted money from districts with declining enrollment, such as Toms River Regional, to faster-growing districts. School leaders have long contended that the formula unfairly penalizes efficient districts — such as Toms River Regional — that have per-pupil costs below the state average.

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"We are seeing an upswing in children with disabilities and English Language learners and we need more funding from the state so that students' needs can be addressed," said Oxley, who served six years on the school board for the Delaware Valley School District in Pennsylvania.

"We are up from 18.1% in 2019 to 19.6 % in 2023 for children with disabilities and for English Language learners we went from 1.9 % 2019 to 3.5% in 2023," she said. "These students are entitled to a free and appropriate education and the state needs to address and take another look as to how to address these issues for districts like Toms River."

Last year the district was forced to sell vacant land near the Silver Bay Elementary School to make up a $3.8 million budget gap.

"The district took a lot of criticism that that was like a one-year 'quick fix,'" Lamb said. "We do have a long-term solution that is under way. … I have full confidence that we are going to solve our budget crisis within the next school year."

Gov. Phil Murphy's administration has sued three Monmouth County school districts — Manalapan-Englishtown, Marlboro and Middletown — for adopting policies that would tell parents if their children change their gender identity at school. Such a change could affect which bathroom a child uses, which pronouns they use, and on which sports teams they play.

The state argues that those policies violate New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination and advocates argue children who are outed could be endangered if their parents do not support their decision.

But many parents believe they have the right to know everything that happens in the schools.

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"Parents should be notified of every aspect of their child's education and well-being until the students reaches 18," Pascarella said. "The only exception I would make is if there is reason to believe the safety of the child would be in jeopardy."

"We are seeing national and statewide trends of alienating parents away instead of having a partnership with the parents," Oxley said. "We do not need to institutionalize our children. Education needs to be a partnership and a respectable relationship between local schools and parents/guardian."

Lamb said the board is awaiting the results of the state lawsuit before addressing the parental notification policy. The district could become involved in costly litigation if the policy is changed now, she said.

Lamb noted that there have been no notification issues in Toms River schools in the five years the transgender policy has been in place. "Our staff is very good, they work with these kids," Lamb said. "They do right by their families. … We have never outed a kid."

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 40 years. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle,  jmikle@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River school election looks at transgender fights, state aid cuts