Rep. Cathy McMorris Roliger
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July 26, 2012
Honorable Marlene H. Oortch
Secretary, Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, OC 20554
Dear Secretary Dortch:
We write to respectfully request that the Tonasket School District's (TSO) application
petitioning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider a recent decision
forcing them to pay back $40,000 in approved grant funds be reconsidered.
TSO provides education to children in Okanogan County in North-Central Washington state.
TSO's mission, which has been enhanced by the FCC E-rate program, includes an emphasis on
improving technology literacy. However, TSO has been placed in a precarious situation relating
to its participating in the FCC E-rate program.
In 2005, TSO applied for and received funding from the E-rate program, administered by the
Schools and Libraries Oivision of the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC). This
funding was used for a voicemail system which was installed in the school system as part of a
specific funding stream for "internal communications."
TSO received funding through the E-rate program until 2009 when the FCC issued a "Red
Light" letter. The "Red Light" letter stated that TSO's application should not have been
originally accepted and required TSO to pay back the approximately $40,000 it had received
since 2005. TSO then petitioned for reconsideration. This petition was denied by the FCC in a
letter dated February 24, 2012.
We have been assured that TSO attempted to comply with all of the program regulations and
were forthright when working with the USAC reviewers. TSO has raised concerns that USAC
changed the interpretation of the type of service to be provided and then made the decision to
make the policy retroactive, placing an enormous financial burden upon the school district.
We respectfully request that. TSO's petition be reevaluated and the accompanying decision
rationale to be shared with our offices.
PAINTED ON RECYCl.ED PAPEA