Toms River East's 1st Principal To Be Honored With Gym Naming

TOMS RIVER, NJ — When the Toms River Regional School District decided it was time to add a third high school to accommodate students, the district turned to Richard J. Pascal to take the reins.

Piscal had two tasks: oversee the construction of Toms River High School East and hire the staff. When the high school opened in 1979, Piscal created an environment and helped the school's students and staff find their own identity.

Now, the school he led will have him as a permanent part of its identity, after the Toms River Regional Board of Education on Wednesday night approved a petition to name the gym at Toms River East for Piscal.

"He worked under a constrained timeline, diligently and intimately, with the architects and general contractors to ensure the school was built on time and under budget," Piscal's family wrote in their petition. "Simultaneously... he began the important and enormous task of hiring the right faculty and staff that would help him achieve his vision to be the premier high school in the state of New Jersey."

Piscal hired 100 teachers and 40 staff members, and had the students of Toms River East pick their school colors and mascot before the school opened.

"He understood the importance of ownership and school identity from day one," his family wrote. Piscal "always put the students' education and school life first, and was a true advocate for his students and faculty."

Piscal, who started in the Toms River schools in 1965 as an English teacher and assistant football coach when the district had only Toms River High School (now High School South), worked for the district for 28 years. He was promoted to English supervisor in 1967, then became a vice principal at Toms River High School North, where he was from 1969 to 1977.

When he was given charge over the construction of Toms River East in 1978, his efforts to give students and staff a say in the school's values, culture and goals helped the school find its identity quickly.

"He established from the start a climate that fostered learning, school spirit and an environment of loyalty and commitment to overall excellence," his family wrote.

Piscal, who served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant in the military police, was deployed to Germany at "Checkpoint Charlie," which was the entry and exit point between West and East Berlin. His family's petition said it was the things he learned during his time in the military that shaped him as a teacher, administrator and as the principal at Toms River East.

"He had an enormous impact on the lives of countless students, parents and staff," the petition said. "He was a team player who always did what was best for the betterment of the Toms River School District."

A date for the naming ceremony has not yet been set.

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