Seaside Heights Police Officer Resigns From Borough's School Board

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — A member of the Seaside Heights Board of Education resigned from his seat on the board in February, a school district official has confirmed.

Anthony Storino IV submitted his resignation letter Feb. 1, 2024, with his resignation effective Feb. 22, 2024. A copy of the letter was provided to Patch by board secretary Kevin O'Shea.

Storino's resignation came to light in a social media posting by Exit 82 Scanner News.

Storino did not give a reason for his resignation in his letter to Erik Hershey, president of the Seaside Heights school board.

The Seaside Heights school board has been under fire for months in connection with the proposed merger of the school district with the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

Storino was one of four current Seaside Heights police officers on the board, which holds its monthly meetings at 8:20 a.m. in the cafeteria at Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School. Hershey and board vice president James Boyd also are patrolmen in Seaside Heights. Tim Smith is a retired police officer but worked for another town.

There is confusion about the fifth member of the board. The Seaside Heights school board website lists Andrew Leahy, but Leahy's term on the board expired Dec. 31, 2023. Matthew Wright, who graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy in February and is a patrol officer in Seaside Heights, was elected to the board in the November 2023 election. Wright is listed as a board member on the Ocean County Clerk's list of elected officials.

The Seaside Heights school board website has no agendas publicly posted, and no minutes from the 2023-24 school year.

Storino was appointed to the Seaside Heights school board in October 2022, to fill the seat vacated by Peter James Smith less than a year into Smith's term. Storino then ran for election to finish the final two years of the vacated term.

Storino is accused of not living in Seaside Heights at any point during his time on the school board. His address on Ocean County's list of officials is listed as the same as James Boyd. Online public records show Storino living at an address in Lacey Township.

The composition of the school board has come under scrutiny in the midst of the regionalization discussions that have led to an upcoming referendum in Seaside Heights and the four towns in the Toms River Regional School District.

If voters in both districts approve, Seaside Heights would become the fifth town in the Toms River Regional district, withdrawing its middle and high school students from Central Regional.

Under the proposed regionalization, the Hugh J. Boyd Jr. Elementary School would remain open for the 2024-25 school year and possibly longer, closing when the student population falls below 125 students.

At a referendum information session at Toms River High School North on Monday, an attendee asked Toms River Superintendent Michael Citta what the plan is for Hugh J. Boyd Jr. Elementary School once the school closes.

Citta said the building would become the property of the borough of Seaside Heights.

A number of Seaside Heights staff members and residents have spoken out against the proposed regionalization and concerns they have about the impact on students.

NOTE: This article has been updated with information about one of the members of the school board.