State Rep. Michael D’Agostino (D-Hamden) has been appointed by Hamden Rep. and Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey to serve on the Education working group of the Municipal Opportunities & Regional Efficiencies (MORE) Commission.
“Budget challenges of today must be met with finding new ways to do more with less tomorrow,” Speaker Sharkey said. “The ability of cities and towns to operate efficiently and in partnership with surrounding towns and the state is critical to supporting our economy.”
With an emphasis on cost efficiency through regional collaboration, the MORE Commission’s Education working group will look for ways to regionalize some of the functions of local government and other entities.
“Speaker's Sharkey's MORE Commission is exactly the kind of initiative that made me run for the Legislature after 12 years on the Hamden Board of Education,” said D'Agostino, who chaired the Hamden school board before leaving for his seat in Hartford. "There are a number of education costs — especially with respect to special education — that we can help districts like Hamden control through regional incentives. I am looking forward to our work on the Commission.”
MORE and its working groups are bipartisan and include state and local lawmakers and municipal employees and will undertake its mission with four working groups:
- Municipal Tax Authority
- Board of Education Functions
- Regional Entities
- Mandates
Laws resulting from the work of the 2010 MORE Commission include:
PA10-167: Established regional incentive grants for local boards of education that save money on school transportation through inter-town agreements.
PA10-174: Allows two or more boards of education to jointly purchase health insurance for their employees.
MORE’s recommendations for legislation are expected to be ready in time for action by during this year’s legislative session which concludes June 5th.
