Toms River Chamber Honors School District

Toms River Regional school students. (Photo: TRRS)

One township organization has honored another, with the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce naming the Toms River Regional School District its 2017 “Distinguished Organization of the Year.”

The chamber provided the district with the award because of “noticeable growth” in recent years.

Among the reasons for growth: career academies opened at each of the three high schools this September. The district has established and enhanced numerous community partnerships to the benefit of students and families. Schools have won national recognition for character, technology, and performance. Grant awards have provided considerable amounts of alternative funding, raised the district’s profile in the arena of highly competitive applications and, most importantly, positively impacted student achievement. Negative factors such as dropout rates, suspension rates and chronic absenteeism have markedly dropped while student performance related to advanced placement participation and SAT scores have increased.

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Additionally, with the support of the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce, Toms River Schools has worked to cultivate a strong school-town connection. Local business leaders have advisory roles in the ongoing development of the Career Academies, and direct student-to-business relationships are being explored. Schools are pursuing increased involvement with the town’s art council in order to enhance downtown aesthetically, culturally, and with increased opportunities for students. The district has worked extensively with area businesses and municipalities to develop and maximize the impact of community-wide events such as Jersey Shore Makerfest, NEA Big Read, the Harvest Festival, Halloween Parade, and many more. District personnel are members of the township’s Green Team, which strives to make Toms River a more environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient community. All of these factors played a role in the district earning the prestigious designation, but its resume of recent accomplishments goes even deeper.

Earlier this month, Toms River Regional Schools published “Our Story,” a comprehensive document detailing its recent accomplishments and future plans.

“This outstanding recognition is the direct result of the vision and support of our Board of Education and the hard work and dedication of our teachers, paraprofessionals, students, families, support staff, administrators, and our partners throughout Toms River,” said Superintendent David M. Healy. “Our investment in our instructional staff– through increased and in-depth training and professional development– has been a sound one, and our teachers exemplify what it means to have a student-centered approach. I cannot stress enough how proud I am to lead this district, and each of the remarkable people who comprise it should feel as honored as I do to accept this award, which I do on their behalf.”