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*****************************************************************                           Before the
               Federal Communications Commission
                     Washington, DC  20554

In the Matter of                   )
                                   )
Request for Review of the          )
Decision of the                    )
Universal Service Administrator by )
                                   )
Madison District Schools           )    File No. SLD-112432
Madison Heights, Michigan          )
                                   )
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:  June 23, 200                  Released: June 26, 2000

By the Accounting Policy Division:
    
1.     The Common Carrier Bureau has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by
Madison District Schools (Madison), Madison Heights, Michigan, seeking review of a decision
issued by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative
Company (USAC or Administrator).  Madison seeks review of SLD's refusal to consider
Madison's appeal to SLD on the grounds that it was untimely filed.  For the reasons set forth
below, we deny Madison's appeal.
2.     The SLD issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter on February 18, 1999,
denying Madison's request for discounted services under the schools and libraries universal
service support mechanism.  On December 17, 1999, Madison filed an appeal of  SLD's
decision to deny its application.  On March 1, 2000, the SLD issued an Administrator's Decision
on Appeal, indicating that it would not consider Madison's appeal because it was received more
than 30 days after the Funding Commitment Decision Letter was issued.  Madison 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 the SLD within 30 days of the issuance of the decision as to which review is
sought.  Documents are considered to be filed with the Commission or the SLD only upon
receipt.  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 Madison failed to file an appeal of the Funding Commitment Decision Letter within the
requisite 30-day appeal period, we affirm SLD's decision to dismiss Madison'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 Madison District Schools, Madison Heights, Michigan, on
March 15, 2000, IS DENIED.
                                                            FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            Sharon L. Webber
                                                            Deputy Chief, Accounting Policy Division
                                                            Common Carrier Bureau