It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Historical Schueman House 1883 gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Toms River, NJ is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“I just started using always best care for my dad The certified aids that came from the agency were fantastic This situation is new for myself and my dad For having no complaints from my dad is a plus So ty again for such an easy transition for my dad Much appreciated Susan”
“Such an amazing company with employees who truly care about their business and those they take care of. Caretakers are top notch and customer service is great and they are available whenever you need them.”
“It is a pleasure to work for someone that genuinely respects caregivers for the job we do!”
“I am a current client of this provider I can’t begin to tell to you how pleased I am with Always Best Care. Not only have they placed the perfect caregiver with my mother they also take care of the billing and when I need to speak to a receptionist they are always available. Thank you!!”
“I cannot thank Always Best Care enough for helping us find an ideal Assisted Living Facility for my mother. We moved to the city a month ago and had little idea about the local senior living communities. I’d like to thank the highly experienced and knowledgeable caregivers of Always Best Care for helping our family during the difficult time.”
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“I am a current client of this provider We are very happy with Always Best Care. They do 24hr care, and the caregiver is excellent. I would recommend them.”
“I am a current client of this provider We have hired Always Best Care. We have them for 5 to 6 weeks now. My mother practically does everything herself, but sometimes they might fix her her lunch, there might be a little bit of shopping, and they take her to her appointment. My mother is fine. The hours are fine. She got the hours that she requested. I know she is being billed on her credit card. They have been very helpful and very cooperative. The women always call back.”
“I am a current client of this provider We hired Always Best Care two weeks ago for my mom. The woman comes in three days a week to assist my mother with doing the wash, keeping the house picked up, and just talking to her. She’s wonderful. We interviewed several people, and there was just something about the way they were organized in their presentation and their follow up. that impressed us. They were a level above the other ones that we spoke to. They really listen to you about your needs and work very hard to match the caregiver up with what you’re looking for. We were very impressed with them.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Cattus Island County Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Villa Amalfi or visit Ocean County Historical Society, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Toms River, NJ, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Toms River, NJ understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Toms River, NJ 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
A fast-growing Orthodox Jewish community near the Jersey Shore could soon get its first private religious high school.The Toms River zoning board is scheduled to hear an application Thursday to convert a former senior health facility into a private Orthodox Jewish yeshiva for high school students.New Jersey Home Care Service, the business behind the proposal, is seeking...
A fast-growing Orthodox Jewish community near the Jersey Shore could soon get its first private religious high school.
The Toms River zoning board is scheduled to hear an application Thursday to convert a former senior health facility into a private Orthodox Jewish yeshiva for high school students.
New Jersey Home Care Service, the business behind the proposal, is seeking a variance to open the school on an 8.5-acre property at 105 Sunset Avenue, which is currently zoned for residential use, according to a meeting notice.
The building was formerly home to the now-closed Medex Home Health Center. The property last sold for $2.08 million in February 2024, according to Ocean County tax records.
The developer is also requesting permits to renovate the existing 9,560-square-foot structure and repave the parking lot, according to township documents.
Like other Ocean and Monmouth County towns surrounding Lakewood, Toms River has seen a surge in its Orthodox Jewish population in recent years. The township borders Lakewood to the south, which is home to the fastest-growing Orthodox Jewish community in New Jersey. Many families relocating to Toms River have done so to remain close to established Orthodox communities, schools, synagogues and extended family.
With no private yeshivas currently operating in the township, many Orthodox Jewish students in Toms River rely on district-funded busing to attend religious schools in nearby Lakewood.
Toms River Regional, Brick, Jackson and Howell are among the districts that have seen transportation costs rise as more Orthodox families move into the area. The districts were spending increasing amounts each year to bus students to over 100 private religious schools in Lakewood, according to their budgets.
Last year, the zoning board approved the township’s first two Orthodox synagogues, or shuls, on Stevens Road and Whitesville Road, according to the Asbury Park Press.
That milestone followed years of legal tension over local zoning laws. In 2021, Toms River revised its zoning rules for houses of worship to avoid litigation from the U.S. Department of Justice, which said the town violated federal law by restricting where religious institutions could operate.
The Department of Justice began investigating in 2018 after the township banned houses of worship in three zoning districts in 2009, raised the minimum lot size in 2017 and barred them from locating on “minor collector” roads. Federal officials said the changes disproportionately impacted Orthodox Jewish residents, who often walk to small neighborhood synagogues on the Sabbath and holidays.
More than 1,000 Orthodox Jewish families now live in Toms River, according to the Department of Justice complaint. Before approving its first two Orthodox Jewish synagogues last year, the township already had about 42 houses of worship — including 38 churches, two mosques, one Conservative Jewish synagogue and one Hindu temple.
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The borough is set for another Independence Day celebration. See the details of the important change for the 2025 celebration. BEACHWOOD, NJ — For more than 80 years, towns around the Toms River have celebrated the nation's Independence Day with fireworks from the bluffs in Beachwood.That tradition is continuing for 2025 but with an important change: Instead of holding them on July 4, this year the fireworks display is set for Saturday, July 5, with a rain date of Sunday, July 6.The Beachwood Borough Council, whi...
BEACHWOOD, NJ — For more than 80 years, towns around the Toms River have celebrated the nation's Independence Day with fireworks from the bluffs in Beachwood.
That tradition is continuing for 2025 but with an important change: Instead of holding them on July 4, this year the fireworks display is set for Saturday, July 5, with a rain date of Sunday, July 6.
The Beachwood Borough Council, which handles the process of hiring the fireworks company and associated staffing and logistics around the celebration, chose the new date last summer when it sought bids for the 2025 display.
The council borough hired Pyrotecnico, based in New Castle, Pennsylvania, to put on the 2025 fireworks in a resolution approved in October that is set to pay $32,000 for a 23-minute display. The council meeting minutes from July through October do not reflect any comments on the reason for the date change.
In 2024, the borough hired Garden State Fireworks and was supposed to pay $33,000 for a 23-minute display, but received 18 minutes of fireworks. The borough council paid Garden State Fireworks $25,826.10 for the July 4 show.
The donation-funded annual Fireworks Over The Toms River has taken place every year, with some exceptions, dating back to the 1940s.
The show is the largest display in Ocean County, swelling the population of riverfront towns, drawing thousands to Beachwood, Pine Beach, Ocean Gate and Berkeley Township along with Toms River and Island Heights. Route 9 jams with vehicles, especially later in the afternoon and evening leading up to the show as spectators arrive to vie for the best possible views.
Boaters anchor up in the Toms River as well for a different view of the show.
Beachwood Beach on the river hosts fun for the kids and families before the fireworks, which are set off at dusk. WOBM 92.7 FM provides the music that accompanies the show.
The fireworks have been funded annually by donations going back to the earliest years of the display, as Beachwood continued to host as the other towns on the river stopped holding them due to the costs, including insurance.
The show was not held in 2018 when the vendor failed to deliver the fireworks, and it was not held in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Toms River officials are facing backlash over a plan to seize property belonging to a local church to create a waterfront park.More than 6,500 people have signed a ...
Toms River officials are facing backlash over a plan to seize property belonging to a local church to create a waterfront park.
More than 6,500 people have signed a petition launched earlier this month to save Christ Episcopal Church property on Washington Street from being seized through eminent domain.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has also raised nearly $15,000 to help the church fight the town’s plans.
The campaigns were created in response to Toms River introducing an ordinance last month to acquire four properties through eminent domain — including the nearly 11-acre Christ Episcopal Church site.
The move comes after Christ Episcopal Church recently proposed opening a homeless shelter on the property.
The township wants to build a waterfront park with soccer fields and pickleball courts.
Church officials say the township’s action is a clear retaliation in response to their homeless shelter proposal from last year.
“This action is unjust,” Rev. Lisa Ann Hoffman, the church‘s minister, wrote in the petition. “It comes as the congregation seeks municipal approval to build a homeless shelter on their property as part of the church‘s ongoing ministries supporting those in need in Toms River.”
“The church is not for sale. People matter more than Pickleball,” the petition says.
In September, Christ Episcopal Church proposed converting its outreach office into a 17-bed homeless shelter — the first of its kind in Ocean County. The plan drew backlash from some residents who voiced opposition at local board meetings.
Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick said on Monday that the petition doesn’t reflect local sentiment because many signers aren’t from the Jersey Shore town.
“If you take a look at the petition, it says that 60% of the signatures are in the ‘area’ of Toms River and the other 40% are from outside of the area,” Rodrick said. “So I do not believe this petition is an accurate representation of how the community feels.”
Church leaders learned less than a day before the township’s April 30 meeting that local officials were introducing an ordinance to acquire the church property, Hoffman said. Over 100 church leaders and community members attended the meeting to oppose the proposal.
A second reading and final vote on the ordinance has been moved to July, according to township officials.
However, on Thursday, Toms River’s zoning board is scheduled to meet and potentially vote on whether the church site qualifies for a variance. Because a homeless shelter is not currently allowed in the site‘s zoning district, the church is seeking an exception from the board.
The plan to turn the property into a park is part of a larger waterfront redevelopment project that has been in the works for years, Rodrick said.
The other three properties the township wants to acquire are privately-owned marinas on Water Street. Combining those properties would create a large municipal marina with public access to the water and nearby restaurants, town officials said.
Christ Episcopal Church has been part of Toms River for 160 years. Its outreach office, which opened in July 2023, provides meals, clothing and other support to those in need. The 10.8-acre property, valued at nearly $2.5 million, is owned by the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
Church officials said they are not selling the property and plan to fight the ordinance.
“Eminent domain should never be used to control a church‘s ministries,” Hoffman said.
Meanwhile, Rodrick said the township is “confident” it can legally acquire the property through eminent domain — a process that allows the government to pay fair market value without the owner’s consent.
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You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Toms River, N.J., is poised to use eminent domain to raze an Episcopal church to build a park. The church had wanted to set up a 17-bed shelter.Published May 21, 2025Updated May 22, 2025Leaders of Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River, N.J., were preparing for a Cinco de Mayo festival late one night when the news began to spread: The mayor planned to use eminent domain to seize thei...
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Toms River, N.J., is poised to use eminent domain to raze an Episcopal church to build a park. The church had wanted to set up a 17-bed shelter.
Published May 21, 2025Updated May 22, 2025
Leaders of Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River, N.J., were preparing for a Cinco de Mayo festival late one night when the news began to spread: The mayor planned to use eminent domain to seize their church and its 11 acres of land.
Under his plan, the church, which was founded in 1865, would be replaced by 10 pickleball courts, a soccer field and a playground with a nautical theme, according to an engineer’s drawing. The first vote by the Township Council, Toms River’s governing board, was the next afternoon.
The proposal represented a curious new twist in an ongoing battle in the large Jersey Shore community. An affordable housing nonprofit that rents space from the church had asked to create a small homeless shelter on the very land the mayor now wanted to turn into a park. The request was unpopular with neighbors, and the organization was awaiting approval from a zoning board.
The mayor, Daniel T. Rodrick, called the timing a “coincidence.” But opponents have condemned the park plan as a thinly disguised way to block the shelter.
The effort to buy or take the land is all but certain to face legal challenges. But it has unleashed an emotional debate over property rights, religious liberty and the limits of a community’s responsibility to care for poor people at a time when the Trump administration is making deep cuts to safety-net programs that provide emergency food and housing.
“I am outraged,” said Rabbi William Gershon of Congregation B’nai Israel, a conservative synagogue that has been in Toms River for 75 years. “If you can do it to them, you can do it to any of us.”
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Facing what it describes as a state-created financial crisis, the Toms River Regional School District says it plans to file for bankruptcy.The announcement came Monday night after the school board rejected a warning from the state Department of Education that the district must approve a 2025-26 budget or cease all operations.Toms River Regional has lost...
Facing what it describes as a state-created financial crisis, the Toms River Regional School District says it plans to file for bankruptcy.
The announcement came Monday night after the school board rejected a warning from the state Department of Education that the district must approve a 2025-26 budget or cease all operations.
Toms River Regional has lost a total of $175 million in state aid in recent years due to New Jersey’s revised school funding formula, according to district officials.
To stay afloat, the district has had to lay off 250 staff members, sell buildings, increase class sizes and hike taxes.
State officials told the district it would need to raise taxes again, this time by nearly 13% to balance next year’s budget — a move school leaders said they were unwilling to make.
“We cannot and will not acquiesce to the State Department of Education’s direction without severely undercutting an educational system that our taxpayers deserve,” Toms River Regional Board of Education President Ashley Lamb said in a statement.
“Our district has already endured devastating cuts — we’ve lost over 250 teacher and staff positions and seen class sizes increase to critical levels. Enough is enough," Lamb said.
The state Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The bankruptcy plan comes as the district continues to feud with state officials over school funding. Last year, Toms River Regional officials said they would sue the state, the Department of Education and the acting education commissioner for causing “a revenue crisis” that school officials describe as child abuse.
Toms River Regional is one of the largest school districts in New Jersey, serving about 14,500 students across 18 schools.
The district’s financial crisis has been building since 2018, when New Jersey overhauled its school funding formula — shifting aid away from “overfunded” districts to those historically underfunded. The change left districts like Toms River facing deep cuts.
On Monday night, the district’s financial crisis reached a breaking point. For the second time, the Toms River Board of Education unanimously voted to not pass a budget for the upcoming school year.
The decision came in direct defiance of a warning from the state Department of Education, which sent a letter to Toms River Regional Superintendent Michael Citta ahead of the meeting.
In the letter, obtained by the Asbury Park Press, the department said if the board failed to pass a budget, the district would be barred from spending any money or running educational programs starting July 1.
Despite the state’s warning, school officials said summer programs will begin this week and schools will continue to operate as planned.
And instead of raising taxes, the board voted to start the process of filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy — a legal step that would give the district protection from creditors while it works on a debt adjustment plan, officials said.
“We will continue to attempt to engage the DOE in finding a solution that best serves our community,” Lamb said. “But make no mistake — we will not abandon our students or compromise their education while the state refuses to address the crisis they created."
Although the district received a $1.69 million increase in state aid this year, officials say it has still lost about 60% of its total state funding since 2018, when the revised formula began phasing in.
In April, the district proposed selling a district-owned building on Hooper Avenue, formerly used as an early learning center, for $15 million to help close budget gaps.
New Jersey’s school funding formula, fully implemented for the first time this year, was created to achieve what the state calls “full fairness.” But across the state, some districts have resorted to drastic measures to fill budget gaps caused by steep aid cuts — including raising property taxes, laying off staff and closing schools.
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