*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 4770.doc* Federal Communications Commission DA 00- 2536 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, DC 20554 In the Matter of ) ) Request for Review of the ) Decision of the ) Universal Service Administrator by ) ) Florence City School District ) File No. SLD- 176555 Florence, Alabama ) ) Federal- State Joint Board on ) CC Docket No. 96- 45 Universal Service ) ) Changes to the Board of Directors of the ) CC Docket No. 97- 21 National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. ) ORDER Adopted: November 9, 2000 Released: November 13, 2000 By the Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau: 1. The Accounting Policy Division has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by Florence City School District (Florence), Florence, Alabama, seeking review of a decision issued by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (Administrator). 1 Florence seeks review of SLD’s refusal to consider Florence’s appeal to SLD on the grounds that it was untimely filed. For the reasons set forth below, we deny Florence’s appeal. 2. SLD issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter on June 9, 2000, denying Florence’s request for discounted services under the schools and libraries universal service support mechanism. 2 Specifically, SLD denied Florence’s request for discounts for internal connections. On July 11, 2000, Florence filed an appeal of SLD’s decision to deny its request for funding. 3 On July 12, 2000, SLD issued an Administrator's Decision on Appeal indicating that it would not consider Florence’s appeal because it was received more than 30 days after the 1 Letter from Edison D. Barney, Florence City School District, to Federal Communications Commission, filed July 19, 2000 (Letter of Appeal). 2 Letter from Schools and Libraries Division, Universal Service Administrative Company, to Brian Holley, Florence City School District, dated June 9, 2000 (Funding Commitment Decision Letter). 3 Letter from Edison D. Barney, Florence City School District, to Schools and Libraries Division, Universal Service Administrative Company, filed July 11, 2000. 1 Federal Communications Commission DA 00- 2536 2 Funding Commitment Decision Letter was issued. 4 Florence subsequently filed the instant Letter of Appeal with the Commission. 3. Under section 54.720 of the Commission’s rules, an appeal must be filed with the Commission or SLD within 30 days of the issuance of the decision as to which review is sought. 5 Documents are considered to be filed with the Commission or SLD only upon receipt. 6 The 30- day deadline contained in section 54.720 of the Commission’s rules applies to all requests for review filed by a party affected by a decision issued by the Administrator. Because Florence failed to file an appeal of the June 9, 2000 Funding Commitment Decision Letter within the requisite 30- day appeal period, we affirm SLD’s decision to dismiss Florence’s appeal to SLD as untimely and deny the instant Letter of Appeal. 4. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to authority delegated under sections 0.91, 0.291, and 54.722( a) of the Commission's rules, 47 C. F. R. §§ 0. 91, 0.291, and 54.722( a), that the Letter of Appeal filed by Florence City School District, Florence, Alabama on July 19, 2000, IS DENIED. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Mark G. Seifert Deputy Chief, Accounting Policy Division Common Carrier Bureau 4 Letter from Schools and Libraries Division, Universal Service Administrative Company, to Brian Holley, Florence City School District, dated July 12, 2000 (Administrator’s Decision on Appeal). 5 47 C. F. R. § 54. 720. 6 47 C. F. R. § 1.7. 2