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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 )
                                   )
Whitehall City School District     )    File No. SLD-145224
Whitehall, Ohio                    )
                                   )
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:  August 17, 2000               Released:  August 18, 2000

By the Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

1.     The Accounting Policy Division has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by
Whitehall City School District (Whitehall City), Whitehall, Ohio, seeking review of a decision
issued by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative
Company (USAC or Administrator).  Whitehall City seeks review of SLD's refusal to consider
Whitehall City's appeal to SLD on the grounds that it was untimely filed.  For the reasons set
forth below, we deny Whitehall City's appeal.
2.     SLD issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter on September 8, 1999, denying
Whitehall City's request for discounted services under the schools and libraries universal service
support mechanism.  Specifically, SLD denied Whitehall City's request for discounts for internal
connections and telecommunications services.  On November 29, 1999, Whitehall City filed an
appeal of  SLD's decision to deny funding.  On December 9, 1999 and March 25, 2000, SLD
issued two Administrator's Decisions on Appeal indicating that it would not consider Whitehall
City's appeal because it was received more than 30 days after the Funding Commitment Decision
Letter was issued.  Whitehall City 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. 
Documents are considered to be filed with the Commission or 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 Whitehall City
failed to file an appeal of the September 8, 1999 Funding Commitment Decision Letter within the
requisite 30-day appeal period, we affirm SLD's decision to dismiss Whitehall City'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 Whitehall City School District, Whitehall, Ohio on April 17,
2000, IS DENIED.
                                                            FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            Sharon L. Webber
                                                            Deputy Chief, Accounting Policy Division
                                                            Common Carrier Bureau