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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 )
                                   )
Racine Unified School District     )    File No. SLD-141845
Racine, Wisconsin                  )
                                   )
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 23, 2000               Released:  August 24, 2000

By the Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

1.     The Accounting Policy Division has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by
Racine Unified School District (Racine), Racine, Wisconsin, seeking review of a decision issued
by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company
(USAC or Administrator).  Racine seeks review of SLD's refusal to consider Racine's appeal to
SLD on the grounds that it was untimely filed.  For the reasons set forth below, we deny
Racine's appeal.
2.     SLD issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter on August 17, 1999, denying
Racine's request for discounted services under the schools and libraries universal service support
mechanism.  Specifically, SLD denied Racine's request for discounts for telecommunications
services, Funding Request Number (FRN) 224232.  On September 20, 1999, Racine filed an
appeal of  SLD's decision to deny FRN 224232.  On September 22, 1999 and March 25, 2000,
SLD issued Administrator's Decisions on Appeal indicating that it would not consider Racine's
appeal because it was received more than 30 days after the Funding Commitment Decision Letter
was issued.  Racine 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 Racine failed
to file an appeal of the August 17, 1999 Funding Commitment Decision Letter within the
requisite 30-day appeal period, we affirm SLD's decision to dismiss Racine'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 Racine Unified School District, Racine, Wisconsin on May 10,
2000, IS DENIED.
                                                            FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            Sharon L. Webber
                                                            Deputy Chief, Accounting Policy Division
                                                            Common Carrier Bureau