Toms River Regional (TRRS) Board of Education headquarters. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The newest member of the Toms River Regional School Board will be Kathleen Eagan, former teacher’s union president for the school district.
This year’s race had one seat representing Toms River Township on the regional school board, sought by a field of six candidates.
The unofficial results from the Ocean County Clerk’s office, with all districts reporting:
Jeffrey Dingsor: 2,055 votes (12.86%)
Sean F. Monahan: 1,892 votes (11.84%)
Brian M. Quinn: 862 votes (5.39%)
Wendell J. Ferandos: 464 votes (2.9%)
Kathleen Eagan: 5,728 votes (35.85%) √
Lisa Natale-Contessa: 4,905 votes (30.7%)
The campaign messages included a strong push from candidates such as Natale-Contessa to work to restore lost state aid,while Dingsor’s message focused on the growing cost of busing students to private schools as required by state law. One campaign mailer slammed Eagan for her years as the teacher’s union president which coincided with disgraced and incarcerated former superintendent Michael Ritacco’s last years in the district.
In addition, the regional school board’s seats representing Beachwood and Pine Beach, respectively, had voters there very narrowly deciding their school board representation. Provisional votes have yet to be certified and included in the results after a judge reviews them early next week.
Pine Beach seat
Anthony J. Trump: 267 votes (49.54%)
Kevin Kidney: 269 votes (49.91%)
Beachwood seat
Alex Mizenko: 763 votes (50.36%)
Melisa Morrison: 744 votes (49.11%)
