Schools
Toms River BOE Rejects Retirement Delay For Superintendent
Board members asked David Healy to delay his retirement amid a search for a new superintendent. What happens come Jan. 1 is uncertain.
TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional School District is facing an uncertain future, after the Board of Education rejected a proposal for Superintendent David Healy to delay his retirement to the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
Healy announced in September that he would be retiring at the end of December, and the district began searching for a new superintendent immediately, with the intent of having a new superintendent selected to take the job starting Jan. 1. But illnesses and complications in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic have disrupted that process.
"I was asked by a majority of the board to delay my retirement," Healy said in a phone call, to help the district as it completes the search and continues to navigate the ongoing issues with the pandemic.
Find out what's happening in Toms Riverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The board voted 3-3, with three abstentions, on a motion that would have allowed him to delay his retirement to June 30, on Monday during a special meeting of the Board of Education, meaning the motion was rejected.
Healy said he gave the request a great deal of thought and discussed at length with his family the prospect of the delay, before agreeing to it.
Find out what's happening in Toms Riverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
But the tie vote on Monday nixed that. Board members Michele Williams, Alex Mizenko and board president Anna Polozzo voted yes to accept the delayed retirement date. Ginny Rhine, Jennifer Howe and Kevin Kidney voted no. Kathy Eagan, Michael Horgan and Joseph Nardini abstained on the vote, as they are required to do on matters involving the superintendent because all three have relatives who work in the district.
With Healy's retirement set for Dec. 31, the district has to find an interim superintendent to run the district while a permanent superintendent is found. That process is complicated because of the holiday season.
If the district does not have an interim in place by Jan. 1, the state Department of Education can take over running the district, officials said.
The school board had an executive session scheduled for Thursday evening.
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