Combining Central Regional, Sending Districts Could Save $500K, Experts Say

BERKELEY, NJ — A plan to combine the Central Regional School District with its sending districts of Berkeley, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park and Island Heights could save nearly $500K - if Seaside Park decides to participate, experts say.

The results of a regionalization feasibility study were presented by the Rowan School Regionalization Institute, which conducted the study. You can watch the video of the presentation here.

The main option discussed was creating a preschool through 12th grade regional school district with the districts. This would eliminate multiple administrative positions, saving the new larger district money, and would create a more cohesive educational experience which could be beneficial to all students. With each elementary school using the same curriculum, students would be better prepared for middle and high school, according to the study.

However, the tax savings are where things get complicated. Brian Diamante, part of the study team, noted that there are no scenarios where tax savings are universal based on differing tax formulas.

Currently, Central Regional operates with a tax formula purely based on property values, though this could change if the districts vote to regionalize. Seaside Park could see tax increases if Berkeley saves money, and if Seaside Heights and Seaside Park benefit more, then Berkeley would pay increased taxes. That said, Seaside Park pays more in each possible scenario due to paying tuition.

Another complication is that Seaside Park is a non-operating school district. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade attend Toms River schools before going to Central Regional. If Seaside Park joined this new regional district, since they have tuition agreements currently, it would "massively increase the amount of money that Seaside Park has to contribute to the local regional fund," Diamante said.

Seaside Park has tried multiple times to leave the Central Regional School District to no avail.

In order to regionalize, a majority of voters in each town would need to approve it. If a town votes no, they would not be part of the regionalization.

As an example, the team said if Seaside Park voters defeated the referendum but it passed in the other districts, it would not be part of the new regional district. It would keep its current elementary agreement and then for seventh to 12th grade, it would be a send-receive relationship instead of being a constituent member. That would change Seaside Park into contributing on a per-pupil tuition basis instead of based on property values, which would lessen the cost for them. This would make the other districts pay more.