Toms River Schools' Super Safe Committee Meeting Monday

TOMS RIVER, NJ — If you've been waiting to learn more about what the Toms River Regional School District's ongoing work on school safety, your opportunity is here: the district is holding its Super Safe and Drug Free Schools committee meeting on Monday, April 23.

The meeting is open to the public.

School safety has been a hot topic in the two months since 17 students and staff members were killed in a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. The topic has been especially fraught with concern in Toms River after a student was arrested on March 14 in connection with what police called a violent threat posted on Instagram.

Authorities have not named the 15-year-old, but parents of students who attend the same school expressed frustration over what they felt was a lack of information being shared by the district and authorities. Screenshots that circulated on social media and that were shared with Patch showed the student holding what appeared to be a handgun. Sources have said the item was actually a pellet gun.

The incident occurred the night before walkouts were planned at schools nationwide as students spoke out against gun violence and sought to honor the memories of those killed on the one-month anniversary of the Feb. 14 killings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The mass shooting has prompted thousands of high school and middle school students to speak out and urge legislators to take steps to tighten gun laws nationwide, while also seeking ways to make schools more safe.

In Toms River, students held assemblies rather than walking out of school — a move that was planned and coordinated with students prior to the threat.

The following week, however, at the Board of Education meeting, parents demanded answers and assurances that school officials were addressing safety.

"As a parent I knew the questions that were out there," Superintendent David Healy told those in attendance. Healy's children attend another school district. "But it doesn't take an incident for us to start doing things. We are reviewing security all the time."

RELATED: Security Concerns Dominate Toms River School Board Meeting

While Healy by law could not discuss specifics in the case of the student who was arrested, he did say the district's policy is that a student who has a history of problems or who has committed certain kinds of actions must go through a comprehensive evaulation by mental health professionals before being allowed to return to school.

"There are certain events that are disqualifying," Healy said. "Certain events are black-and-white." And students have been barred from returning to the 16,000-student district because their presence is a disruption to the education of others.

"I am making you a promise: If there's a child we think is a threat, that child is not coming back," Healy said. "You can hold me accountable."

Board member Chris Raimann and board president Russell Corby that night invited parents and the community to attend the Super Safe committee meeting.

It is set for 6 p.m. in the media center at Toms River High School North on Old Freehold Road.

Image via Shutterstock