Toms River, NJ: $39M to $75M increase in SPED costs over past seven years

Oct 24, 2025, Toms River Regional Schools introduces plan to hub special education students at Intermediate North 

https://newjersey.news12.com/toms-river-regional-schools-introduces-plan-to-hub-special-education-students-at-intermediate-north

Although any potential changes are at least a year away, some parents are split on the centralized special education proposal.

Facing rising costs of special education, Toms River Regional Schools introduced a plan to hub those classes and possibly bring in other children with special needs from around the county.  

Although any potential changes are at least a year away, some parents are split on the centralized special education proposal.  

“Out of 14,500 kids that translates to about 3200 students in special education and with them over the last seven years, has seen an increase in our budget from 39 million to 75 million dollars,” said Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael Citta.  

And with no end in sight on cost increases, Superintendent Citta spoke to parents directly at last week’s board meeting, introducing a plan, potentially for the 2026-2027 school year.  

According to that plan, Toms River Intermediate North becomes a hub for special education students, sixth-grade students move back to elementary schools, and the opportunity will be there to bring in other Ocean County special needs students to Toms River Intermediate North. 

“We know if we could build a program like other counties have, we could facilitate a similar but better education for those kids in their backyard for about $65,000-70,000 per student. That’s about an $8 million savings right off the bat,” said Citta.  

Some parents of special needs children, like Lily Panella, spoke out against the plan, worried about a hub blocking inclusion with typical students. 

“To now hear that the district is considering moving special ed students into a single building feels like a complete reversal of that philosophy,” said Lily Panella, commenting at last week’s school board meeting.  

“We can create other inclusion and mainstreaming opportunities because we are so centrally located,” added Citta.  

Superintendent Citta says another benefit of having a special needs hub at Toms River Intermediate North is that it would be less than 1 mile from the RWJ Barnabus Health Field of Dreams. . . .