Federal Communications Commission DA 12-894
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, DC  20554
In the Matter of
Requests for Waiver and Review of 
Decisions of the 
Universal Service Administrator by 
Albertville City Schools
Albertville, Alabama, et al.
Schools and Libraries Universal Service
Support Mechanism
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File Nos. SLD-739495, et al.
CC Docket No. 02-6
ORDER
Adopted:  June 7, 2012 Released:  June 7, 2012
By the Chief, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau:
1. Consistent with precedent,1 we grant 12 requests from petitioners2 seeking review of 
decisions made by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the E-rate program 
(more formally known as the schools and libraries universal service support program). 3 In each case, 
USAC denied or reduced funding because it found that the applicant failed to timely submit its FCC Form 
486.  Based on our review of the record, we find that the 12 petitioners have demonstrated that good 
cause exists to justify a waiver of USAC’s filing deadline for the FCC Form 486.4  On our own motion, 
  
1 See Request for Review of the Decision of the Universal Service Administrator by Alaska Gateway School District,
Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, File Nos. SLD-412028, et al., CC Docket No. 02-6, 
Order, 21 FCC Rcd 10182 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2006) (granting 128 appeals after finding good cause to waive 
USAC’s deadline for filing FCC Form 486).  See also Requests for Review and/or Waiver of the Decisions of the 
Universal Service Administrator by Archdiocese of Chicago School, et al., Schools and Libraries Universal Service 
Support Mechanism, File Nos. SLD-766468, et al., CC Docket No. 02-6, Order, 27 FCC Rcd 200 (Wireline Comp. 
Bur. 2012) (granting 22 appeals after finding good cause to waive USAC’s deadline for filing FCC Form 486). 
2 The requests for waiver and review are listed in the appendix. 
3 Section 54.719(c) of the Commission’s rules provides that any person aggrieved by an action taken by a division of 
USAC may seek review from the Commission.  47 C.F.R. § 54.719(c).
4 Generally, the Commission’s rules may be waived if good cause is shown.  47 C.F.R. § 1.3.  The Commission may 
exercise its discretion to waive a rule where the particular facts make strict compliance inconsistent with the public 
interest.  Northeast Cellular Telephone Co. v. FCC, 897 F.2d 1164, 1166 (D.C. Cir. 1990) (Northeast Cellular).  In 
addition, the Commission may take into account considerations of hardship, equity, or more effective 
implementation of overall policy on an individual basis. WAIT Radio v. FCC, 418 F.2d 1153, 1159 (D.C. Cir. 
1969); Northeast Cellular, 897 F.2d at 1166.  Waiver of the Commission’s rules is appropriate only if both (i) 
special circumstances warrant a deviation from the general rule, and (ii) such deviation will serve the public interest.  
NetworkIP, LLC v. FCC, 548 F.3d 116, 125-128 (D.C. Cir. 2008); Northeast Cellular, 897 F.2d at 1166.
Federal Communications Commission DA 12-894
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we also waive section 54.507(d) of the Commission’s rules and any USAC procedural deadlines, such as 
the invoicing deadline, that might be necessary to effectuate our ruling.5 We find good cause to waive 
section 54.507(d) because filing an appeal of a denial of funding is likely to cause petitioners to miss the 
program’s subsequent procedural deadlines in that funding year. Consistent with precedent,6 we also 
waive section 54.720 of the Commission’s rules, which requires applicants to seek review of a USAC 
decision within 60 days, for Lakeview Local Schools because we find they submitted their appeal to the 
Commission only three days late.7    
2. We therefore remand the applications listed in the appendix to USAC for further action 
consistent with this order.  To ensure that those applications are resolved expeditiously, we direct USAC 
to complete its review of each application listed in the appendix and issue a funding commitment or 
denial based on a complete review and analysis no later than 90 calendar days from the release date of 
this order.  In remanding these applications to USAC, we make no finding as to the ultimate eligibility of 
the services or the petitioners’ applications.  
3. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to the authority contained in sections 1-4 
and 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 151-154 and 254, and sections 
0.91, 0.291, 1.3 and 54.722(a) of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.91, 0.291, 1.3 and 54.722(a), the 
requests for review or requests for waiver listed in the appendix ARE GRANTED and those applications 
ARE REMANDED to USAC for further consideration in accordance with the terms of this order.
4. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to the authority contained in sections 1-4 and 254 
of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 151-154 and 254, and sections 0.91, 
0.291, 1.3 and 54.722(a) of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.91, 0.291, 1.3 and 54.722(a), that 
sections 54.507(d) and 54.720 of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 54.507(d) and 54.720, ARE 
WAIVED for the petitioners listed in the appendix to the limited extent provided herein.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Trent B. Harkrader
Chief
Telecommunications Access Policy Division
Wireline Competition Bureau
  
5 47 C.F.R. § 54.507(d) (requiring non-recurring services to be implemented by September 30 following the close of 
the funding year). 
6 Requests for Review and/or Waiver of Decisions of the Universal Service Administrator by ABC Unified School 
District, et al., Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, File Nos. SLD-584091, Order, 26 FCC 
Rcd 11019, 11019, para. 2 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2011) (granting a waiver of our filing deadline for an appeal 
because it was submitted to the Commission only a few days late).  
7 See 47 C.F.R. § 54.720.
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APPENDIX
Petitioner Application
Number(s)
Funding
Year
Date Request for 
Review/Waiver 
Filed  
Albertville City Schools
Albertville, Alabama
739495 2010 Apr. 10, 2012
Autauga County Board of Education
Prattville, Alabama
684791 2009 Apr. 11, 2012
Benson Unified School District
Benson, Arizona
473356 2005 Apr. 2, 2012
Choctaw County Board of Education
Butler, Alabama
634943 2008 Apr. 16, 2012
Coosa County Board of Education
Rockford, Alabama
594190, 708987, 
749148
2008, 2010 Apr. 11, 2012
Hoover City Schools
Hoover, Arizona
694705 2009 Apr. 19, 2012
Jackson County Board of Education
Scottsboro, Alabama
746813 2010 Apr. 19, 2012
Lakeview Local Schools
Cortland, Ohio
750208 2010 May 18, 2012
Maritime Academy Charter School
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
549685 2007 Apr. 10, 2012
Roswell Independent School District 
Roswell, New Mexico
780928 2011 Apr. 19, 2012
Selma City Schools
Selma, Alabama
633580, 687564, 
766822, 767016
2008, 
2009, 2010
Apr. 9, 2012
Wakefield Country Day School
Flint Hill, Virginia
744944 2010 May 24, 2012