Politics & Government

Three Incumbents Among Eleven Candidates for Toms River School Board

Two seats in Toms River, one in South Toms River, on November ballot

Eleven candidates filed to run for three seats on Toms River Regional school board, according to the county clerk's office.

Two seats representing Toms River are up for grabs. Incumbents Gus Kakavas of Smokerise Lane and Jack Reuther of Arizona Avenue are seeking re-election for the three year terms. They are each seeking a second term, having been elected in 2009. Reuther is the current vice-president of the school board.

Kakavas and Reuther face seven challengers:

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  • Lisa P. Neumann of Susan Street,
  • Charlotte Ford Spillane of North Bay Avenue,
  • Sergio Fossa of Bricksburg Court,
  • Ginny Rhine of Grand Avenue,
  • Daniel K. Simmons of Green Twig Drive
  • Joseph Torrone — the spouse of current board member Loreen Torrone, of Stone Hedge Drive
  • Brian Geoghegan, of Longman Street, who ran in 2011

The three-year seat representing South Toms River is also up for grabs. Incumbent Jamie Ann Jubert of Lakeview Drive is seeking re-election. Challenging her is Gidalty "Gigi" Esparza of Red Maple Court.

Jubert has served on the school board since 1995 and previously served as a vice-president to the nine-member school board, which represents Toms River, South Toms River, Pine Beach and Beachwood.

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The candidates list is unofficial, as names can be challenged for four days after the filing deadline, which was at

This would be the first year for a November school board election for Toms River Regional. All Ocean County School Districts, with the exception of Lakewood, opted to move their School Board elections from April to November as a result of a bill signed into law by Governor Christie in January, which then Toms River Regional to move the election locally.

With three seats up for grabs, this year's election could hold the fate of the majority of the Toms River Regional school board. Last year, three candidates running as a team campaigned as reformers in the wake of the scandal of former Superintendent . The three new board members have voted throughout the year in opposition of some school board agenda items, but do not hold the majority of the board.

Candidates will be listed in a separate section of the November ballot, as school board elections are nonpartisan.


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