Toms River Schools Add Director Position After Admin Cuts In April

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional Board of Education approved the creation of a director's position on Wednesday to oversee the district's buildings, grounds and operations.

The position of director of infrastructure and operations was approved by a unanimous vote of the board.

Bryan Madigan, who has been the principal at Toms River Intermediate School East, has been appointed to the position with a start date of Sept. 1, the date of the retirement of Assistant Superintendent James Ricotta, whose position was eliminated after he announced he was retiring.

Madigan, who will receive a prorated $5,000 raise with the promotion, has 27 years in the district, Superintendent Michael Citta said. His salary for the 2024-25 school year was $170,254, according to the state Department of Education.

The position is defined as follows on the agenda: "Responsible for the management and oversight of all district infrastructure and operations personnel, including planning, research, budgeting, communication, and monitoring. The director will maximize the potential of the physical environment to support our curricular and extracurricular student goals."

Madigan will supervise "Custodial, Grounds, Maintenance, Special Projects, Athletic Fields, Security and other assigned administrative personnel," according to the job description.

The new position comes after the district cut three administrative positions — the director of human resources, an assistant superintendent, and the manager of facilities — with the cuts approved by the board in April. The reduction of the three positions was estimated to save the district $300,000 in the 2025-26 budget.

The replacement for Madigan at Intermediate East has not yet been named.

Also promoted Wednesday was Courtney Norcross, who had been the supervisor of instruction at Walnut Street Elementary. Norcross, who now is the principal at Silver Bay Elementary, has 24 years in the district, Citta said. She will receive a $15,000 increase over her 2024-25 salary of $130,072, prorated as she begins the position on Aug. 1.

The board also approved some lateral moves of administrators, some related the movement of the Early Learning Center classes to North Dover Elementary School from the district's former administration building at 1144 Hooper Ave. The district sold the building to Ocean County, with the sale completed in May.

Michael J. DeVita, the principal of the Early Learning Center, will be the principal of preschool at North Dover. Anna E. Kasper, who had been the principal of Silver Bay Elementary, will be the principal at Washington Street Elementary. James J. Klass, who had been the supervisor of instruction at Beachwood Elementary, becomes the supervisor of instruction at Walnut Street Elementary, and Dina M. O'Donnell, who had been the supervisor of instruction at North Dover Elementary, moves to East Dover Elementary as the supervisor of instruction.