Vote On New Superintendent Contract Delayed, Meeting Canceled In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional Board of Education has canceled meetings it was scheduled to hold on Wednesday night, the district announced.

The school board was scheduled to hold its monthly committee meetings starting at 5:30 p.m. at Toms River High School North, followed by a special meeting of the board at 6:30 p.m. where the board was set to vote on a new contract for Superintendent Michael Citta.

The cancellations were announced in an email to reporters shortly after 4 p.m.

According to district spokesman Michael Kenny, the nine-member board lacked a quorum for the meetings. Kenny did not say who was unable to attend the meetings.

Committee meetings generally do not involve the board taking action but board members are updated on various aspects of what is happening in the district, including key buildings and grounds projects, curriculum discussions and financial matters.

The special meeting to discuss and vote on Citta's contract required a quorum. The board has been forced to act under a doctrine of necessity on some matters because of conflicts of interest — some board members have relatives working for the district, which technically means they are not permitted to vote on matters such as contracts of district staff.