TOMS RIVER, N.J. – George Lobman, a candidate for the Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education, is sounding alarms over what he calls runaway spending and skyrocketing school taxes.
The longtime township resident and former councilman says district finances have ballooned while student enrollment and test scores have sharply declined.
He’s also criticizing the board’s failed attempt to give Superintendent Michael Citta a huge raise despite the district selling off properties and facing future school consolidation due to a dire budget crisis.
Lobman, who currently serves as Director of Transportation Agencies for the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association of New Jersey (UTCA), says his engineering and project management background gives him a business-minded perspective on fiscal accountability.
Key Points
- George Lobman criticizes Toms River’s rising school taxes and spending, citing $56 million in growth since 2021.
- He accuses the current administration of financial mismanagement following a failed bankruptcy declaration and credit downgrade.
- Lobman calls for prioritizing taxpayers and student performance over salary increases for administrators.
“In 2021, the total school budget was $247 million; by 2024, it had ballooned to $303 million,” Lobman said. “That’s $56 million in new spending while enrollment decreased by 1,000 students in that same time period.” He added that the district doesn’t have a revenue problem, but a spending problem that needs immediate correction.
Budget and accountability issues
Lobman cited the superintendent’s failed attempt to declare bankruptcy as evidence of poor fiscal oversight. “Debt service is just 3% of the total school budget,” he said. “Now we’ve had our credit rating downgraded, which will cost us millions in higher interest payments.”
He also questioned the school board’s decision to approve a significant pay raise for Superintendent Michael Citta. “They’re giving the superintendent an $80,000 raise, taking him from $228,000 to $308,000 by the end of his four-year contract,” he said.
To balance recent budgets, the school board has had to go to drastic measures, including selling buildings, properties, and even selling trees on school grounds to raise money. Last year, the county bailed out the district by paying $14.5 million for a commercial building on Hooper Avenue.
The board was scheduled to vote on that raise, but could not hold a meeting because they did not have the required quorum to hold the meeting as most of the members are conflicted from voting on the superintendent’s raise.
Lobman says he has no conflicts and would vote no if elected.
Realizing they did not have the votes to approve the new contract, the board instead chose to cancel the meeting.
Declining academic performance
Beyond budget concerns, Lobman pointed to deteriorating student outcomes as another pressing issue. “Only 45% of Toms River students passed reading and writing, and less than 33% passed in mathematics,” he said, citing recent state standardized testing data. “That’s unacceptable. It’s time to raise the bar.”
A focus on taxpayers and education
Lobman said his campaign is centered on restoring fiscal discipline and improving academic standards. “We need someone on the school board who puts taxpayers and our children’s education ahead of salary increases for teachers and administrators,” he said. “That’s why I’m running.”
Lobman, an active member of Saint Barbara’s Greek Orthodox Church, said he hopes his track record of service and focus on financial accountability will resonate with voters as Election Day approaches.
Lobman is running against former NJEA Toms River chapter president Kathy Eagan. Earlier this year, Eagan unsuccessfully tried to get Lobman off the ballot. She sued in court, and withdrew her case after Lobman’s lawyers suggested Eagan’s case was built upon a foundation of misinformation. Rather than pejuroring herself before the judge, Eagan quickly dropped her lawsuit.