********************************************************    
                                         NOTICE
    ********************************************************
                                
                This document was converted from
           WordPerfect or Word to ASCII Text format.
                                
   Content from the original version of the document such as
headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, graphics, and page numbers
             will not show up in this text version.
                                
All text attributes such as bold, italic, underlining, etc. from the
    original document will not show up in this text version.
                                
        Features of the original document layout such as
columns, tables, line and letter spacing, pagination, and margins
           will not be preserved in the text version.
                                
        If you need the complete document, download the
  WordPerfect version or Adobe Acrobat version, if available.
                                
*****************************************************************
                                                           Before the
               Federal Communications Commission
                     Washington, DC  20554

In the Matter of                   )
                                   )
Request for Review of the          )
Decision of the                    )
Universal Service Administrator by )
                                   )
New Castle Community Schools       )    File No. SLD-156793
New Castle, Indiana                )
                                   )
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:  October 6, 2000               Released:  October 10, 2000

By the Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

1.     The Accounting Policy Division has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by
New Castle Community Schools (New Castle), New Castle, Indiana, seeking review of a decision
issued by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative
Company (USAC or Administrator).  New Castle seeks review of SLD's refusal to consider New
Castle's appeal to SLD on the grounds that it was untimely filed.  For the reasons set forth below,
we deny New Castle's appeal.
2.     SLD issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter on April 14, 2000, denying New
Castle's request for discounted services under the schools and libraries universal service support
mechanism.  Specifically, SLD denied New Castle's request for discounts for telecommunications
services, Funding Request Number (FRN) 305643.  On June 5, 2000, New Castle filed an appeal
of SLD's decision to deny FRN 305643.  On June 8, 2000, SLD issued an Administrator's
Decision on Appeal indicating that it would not consider New Castle's appeal because it was
received more than 30 days after the Funding Commitment Decision Letter was issued.  New
Castle 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 New Castle
cannot show that it filed a timely appeal of the April 14, 2000 Funding Commitment Decision
Letter within the requisite 30-day appeal period, we affirm SLD's decision to dismiss New
Castle'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 New Castle Community Schools, New Castle, Indiana on June
20, 2000, IS DENIED.
                                                            FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            Sharon L. Webber
                                                            Deputy Chief, Accounting Policy Division
                                                            Common Carrier Bureau