TOMS RIVER – Superintendent David Healy has announced that his retirement from the district will take place at the end of 2020.
He said he was going to retire in June of 2020, but there were a lot of loose ends and didn’t feel comfortable walking away. Instead, he will stay through the end of December.
As it is, the district still has some issues, but none of them are of their own making, he has said. Schools everywhere are dealing with the coronavirus, and many New Jersey districts are still suffering from the change in the funding formula. His goal now is to get kids back into buildings, at least as a hybrid model, before he leaves.
But these setbacks shouldn’t take away from the accomplishments that have come. During his tenure, there has been new curriculum, full day kindergarten, career academies, and other improvements. The district passed a $147 million referendum last year that will help repair dilapidated buildings.
The administration, educators, and staff rose to these challenges, he said.
“It’s an outstanding district. I’ve made life-long friends here. It’s just time,” he said. Now, he wants to spend more time with his wife and family. He has one child in high school, one in college, and one recent college graduate. His 98-year-old father lives locally and he wants to have time to visit him.
He still wants to do some kind of public service, but is not sure what form that will take.
After spending 37 years in education, he said that Toms River is the most child-centered community he’s seen in the state of New Jersey. He had previously served as superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen school district. He’s confident in the team that he is leaving behind to continue to take things in the right direction.
He was hired in 2014 after the district saw the devastation of Superstorm Sandy and embezzling by the former superintendent. The district put out a survey in 2013 of what they wanted from a new superintendent. The community said they wanted “integrity,” and someone who could bring unity to the district to overcome the issues.
“Superintendent Healy and his team got to work with our Board of Education to help an angry community come to terms with the damage done,” said Board President Anna Polozzo. “He showed us the path forward, encouraged us that we could not only rise from adversity but thrive in the face of it and begin the journey back with hope, and restored faith in our shared mission to provide the students of Toms River Regional Schools with a world-class education.”
“Dave’s leadership will be sorely missed,” said Business Administrator William Doering, “but he’s done something that great leaders do: He’s positioned our district – both fiscally and academically – to be a positive force for years to come, and despite some very profound challenges that persist. It’s difficult to imagine where we’d be right now had the board gone in another direction in 2014. In fact, I’d rather not.”
