TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional Board of Education approved new contracts for four administrators on Tuesday night that included raises for the four — a move that has drawn criticism amid budget cuts prompted by state aid cuts.
The contracts — for business administrator William Doering and assistant superintendents Debra McKenna, Marc Natanagara, and James Ricotta — increase their salaries by a total of $21,000.
The vote had been postponed in May after residents objected to the raises, which come as the district is facing layoffs and more severe cuts next year under S2, the state law pushed by Sen. Stephen Sweeney, that is cutting aid to Toms River and a number of districts that Sweeney insists are overfunded.Â
Toms River is losing $2.78 million for the 2019-2020 budget year, despite having one of the lowest per-pupil costs in the state. The most recent figures from the state Department of Education’s Taxpayer’s Guide to Education Spending show Toms River’s budgetary cost per student at $13,264 (the figure does not include transportation costs) and the district ranks 561 out of 650; the list includes every district and charter school. Among school districts its size, Toms River ranks eighthlowest out of 98 and its administrative costs.
Board members Ginny Rhine and Anna Polozzo voted no on the contracts, with Rhine saying it was solely in response to the salary increases. Board president Joe Nardini abstained from voting on the contracts for Natanagara and Ricotta because a family member reports to them, and Mike Horgan abstained on McKenna’s contract for the same reason.
Afterward, resident Bridget Maillard criticized the decision to approve the raises.
“We’re having programs cut, supplies cut, activities, we’re having coaches cut,” she said. “I don’t think it’s right.”
The initial cuts were estimated at 77 staff positions, but retirements have reduced that number to 31, superintendent David Healy said.
Wow
But….but… cost of living increases..
Franklyn A Newby but yet Spanish teacher was laid off and the community service leader is not longer in her position. But this is what’s good for our kids right ?
This country has gone mad with greed.
TR SCHOOLS forces you to submit a letter of resignation, then tells you you’ll be put on the substitute list so you can’t claim unemployment because substitutes are still on payroll…I just told them I would rather never see the inside of a TR School again, don’t ever call me for a substitute…
Greg that should be illegal!
Kristina Flora Schastny I still have ex supervisors and ex coworkers trying to get into my social media pages, what they are looking for 3 years later I haven’t a clue…I just keep blocking every “viewed you”, “requested Conversation”, and friend/follow request that pops up…Guess they are that bored with life
Greg wow unbelievable! It seems that a lot of these people need to take Ethics 101!
Kristina Flora Schastny a guy I worked with 3 years ago they just tossed, he’s now at a central nj school district…They gave him a year of hell he told me after I was gone…Funny too cuz he was getting sick every few months like I was with fluid in our lungs, since we both are gone both of us haven’t gotten that anymore
Wow…
How about raises for all school employees , bus drivers could use a nice raise , we have to work other jobs on top of our primary jobs just to make ends meet.
Prime example why people are moving out of state. Teachers and staff are being laid off because of budget cuts. But the corrupted politicians still give themselves a pay raise.
Gloria Bisignano Ritacco-Stewart
Please post names along with salaries
Dan Perkins Here you go. $737,000 in salaries collectively between the 4 of them. What do they do exactly to justify that kind of salary. It’s sickening.
Dan Perkins there is a state website you can go that lists all of the state employees salaries.
So wrong
That’s ridiculous, Toms River student’s deserve better than o
Admins always make sure they get their raises
What a joke
Wait what!?!? You are cutting jobs and giving raises to the top administrators? WTF?
Shame on them!
Clean house
This is the kind of people we have in charge of our children. Just last week Intermediate East School had a chorus recital and it was literally 115 degrees in the auditorium because there was no air conditioning. The kids and parents were dripping sweat and the administration is taking raises…. Ridiculous
Pathetic
Absolutely disgusting.
Shame on them…. this is disgusting…
Disgusting!
They’re already shorthanded in many departments. What is wrong with them?
How do they even look themselves in the mirror ?
Corporate America
The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer!
They don’t care about the kids the teachers as long as they get they raised. I said before and I said it again Ritaccoo might be dirty but our kids and school were always taken care of .