TOMS RIVER - The Toms River Regional school district is seeking about $4.4 million in emergency aid from the state, money schools Superintendent David M. Healy said is needed to restore 62 staff positions that the district was forced to cut earlier this year.

"That would not make us whole, but would allow us to restore some needed positions," Healy said.

A resolution asking for $4,473,821 was adopted unanimously by the Board of Education on July 24. The resolution contends that the district needs the money to restore 62 jobs that are vital for Toms River Regional to provide a "thorough and efficient" education for students, as mandated by state law.

Healy said he is confident the district will receive some emergency funds.

Want to stay up to date on news about education at the Jersey Shore? Check back at App.com, and consider subscribing today!

Rescued from fire:Toms River fire: Mom, kids, pets rescued from burning home

A state aid cut led the board to reluctantly approve a $242.3 million school budget for the 2019-2020 school year that slashed 77 staff positions.

The cuts were made after Toms River Regional lost $2.8 million in state aid for the upcoming school year; last year the district's aid was cut by $2.3 million. Students from Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood and South Toms River attend Toms River Regional school district.

The emergency aid resolution says the staff cuts threaten to cause "significant and irreparable financial distress" for the school district.

Fundraiser for cancer-stricken vet:GoFundMe campaign started for cancer-stricken Ocean County veteran conned out of $18,000

Retirements have greatly reduced the number of staff who will actually lose their jobs, but Healy and school board members note the cuts include 58 teaching jobs, 12 secretarial positions, six facilities jobs and one administrative position.

The budget also eliminated 55 assistant coaching positions for sports teams throughout the district, and cut 10 percent from accounts for supplies and textbooks.

The 2019-2020 school budget is down nearly $7 million from the 2018-2019 spending plan, a reduction of nearly 3 percent.

Beach umbrella danger:Why won't feds stop runaway beach umbrellas? Menendez wants answers

School taxes for Toms River property owners also rose, about 2.1 cents per $100 of assessed property value, or slightly less than 2 percent. School taxes rose 1.75 cents in South Toms River; 1.48 cents in Beachwood and 1.49 cents in Pine Beach, all per $100 of assessed property value.

The district has been lobbying Gov. Phil Murphy and state legislators for restoration of the $2.8 million in state aid Toms River Regional will lose in the upcoming school year.

Students, staff, parents, teachers, grandparents, administrators and residents have submitted more than 30,000 letters about the potential impact of reduced state aid to state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, who chairs the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Students, teachers, administrators and local politicians also have traveled repeatedly to Trenton to rally and testify about the damage the state aid cuts will do to the regional district.

Watch Healy talk about the district's efforts to get state aid restored in the video above this story.

The new funding formula reallocates state aid to districts that have seen rapid growth in student populations, such as Freehold Borough, and away from districts — including Toms River, Middletown and Brick — where the number of pupils has declined or remained steady.

New restaurants:NJ restaurants: New additions at the Jersey Shore

Toms River Regional has 18 schools and about 16,000 students. Healy has said Toms River Regional could lose up to $80 million in state funding over the next six years.

The school board voted unanimously last fall to join other districts in a lawsuit against state Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet, whose department oversees the distribution of state education funds. That lawsuit is still pending.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 35 years. A finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in public service, she's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle, 732-643-4050, jmikle@gannettnj.com.