TOMS RIVER, NJ – A special school board meeting to award Toms River Regional Schools Superintendent Michael Citta with a nearly $80,000 raise will be held tonight at
In a move drawing sharp community reaction, the Toms River Regional Board of Education is set to approve a new five-year contract giving Superintendent Michael Citta a substantial pay raise—despite a mounting budget crisis that has already forced layoffs and cuts to student programs.
The district has also been selling off properties and could soon face closures and consolidations like neighboring towns in the near future, but one person doesn’t have to worry about the financial crisis impacting his salary. In fact, he’s getting a huge pay raise.
The special meeting, scheduled for Wednesday at Toms River High School North, will finalize a deal that boosts Citta’s salary to $275,000 for the 2025-26 school year, retroactive to July 1.
$308,000 Salary in 5 years
The contract, already approved by the state Department of Education, locks in annual increases through 2030, pushing his pay above $308,000 by the final year.
Citta, once an assistant under disgraced former superintendent Michael Ritacco—who was convicted on federal bribery and tax charges—was promoted to the district’s top job in 2022 after a bitter hiring battle.
From controversy to command
Under his original four-year deal, Citta was to earn $228,159 in 2025-26 with modest 2% raises. The new agreement adds nearly $47,000 immediately—an increase of more than 20%—and guarantees yearly bumps of 2.5% to 3% through 2030.
Perks and benefits the average person does not get
In addition to his salary, the new contract grants Citta 25 vacation days, 12 sick days, and 5 personal days each year, along with a $400 monthly car allowance for district travel.
The contract comes as Toms River schools grapple with state funding losses, staff reductions, and calls from parents for fiscal restraint. Critics have questioned the timing and size of the raise, warning it could deepen the district’s financial struggles.
Community response expected
Wednesday’s meeting is expected to draw a large turnout, as residents voice concerns over the board’s decision to increase executive pay while classroom budgets shrink.
District officials have not commented publicly on the rationale behind the raise.
For many in Ocean County, the move recalls an uncomfortable chapter in Toms River’s history—when a superintendent’s unchecked compensation turned into one of New Jersey’s biggest education scandals.
