Toms River Regional Schools is a comprehensive regional public school district primarily located in the quickly growing coastal community of Toms River, located in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, along the state's Jersey Shore. The district includes Toms River and the adjoining boroughs of Beachwood, Pine Beach and South Toms River. It is the largest suburban school district in the state, and the fourth largest school district in New Jersey (after Newark, Jersey City and Paterson). It is also the largest school district in the state that is not an Abbott District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising 18 schools, had an enrollment of 15,472 students and 1,171.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1. The district has three high schools -- Toms River High School South, Toms River High School North, and Toms River High School East—as well as three middle schools—Toms River Intermediate School East, Toms River Intermediate School North (formerly Intermediate West), and Toms River Intermediate School South. With the opening of Intermediate South in 2005, all sixth grade classes were shifted from the district's 12 elementary schools to the three middle schools in order to alleviate overcrowding. Also at that time, Intermediate West was renamed Intermediate North. Intermediate East and Intermediate North are currently the two most populous middle schools in New Jersey. To raise money for the schools, the district created Toms River Fest, a major festival held during the summer in 2005, 2006 and 2008. The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "DE", the fifth-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J. History In previous eras, the district segregated students by race. In 1948 the district had a separate elementary school for black students. Journal of Negro Education stated the school was "very crude and is situated out in the woods." When Central Regional High School opened in September 1956, sending/receiving relationships under which students from Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Lacey Township, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park attended the district's schools for grades 7-12 were ended. The Toms River district had announced that it could no longer accommodate students from these six