*******************************************************    
                                         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 )
                                   )
Oxford Hills School District M.S.A.D. #17    )    File No. SLD-149864
Oxford Hills, Maine                )
                                   )
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:  July 7, 2000                  Released:  July 10, 2000

By the Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

1.     The Common Carrier Bureau has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by
Oxford Hills School District M.S.A.D #17 (Oxford Hills), Oxford, Maine, seeking review of a
decision issued by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service
Administrative Company (USAC or Administrator).  Oxford Hills seeks review of SLD's
refusal to consider Oxford Hills' appeal to SLD on the grounds that it was untimely filed.  For
the reasons set forth below, we deny Oxford Hills' appeal.
2.     SLD issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter on September 28, 1999, denying
Oxford Hills' request for discounted services under the schools and libraries universal service
support mechanism.  Specifically, SLD denied Oxford Hills' request for discounts for
telecommunications services, Funding Request Number (FRN) 289285.  On January 18, 2000,
Oxford Hills filed an appeal of  SLD's decision to deny FRN 289285.  On March 26, 2000, SLD
issued an Administrator's Decision on Appeal indicating that it would not consider Oxford Hills'
appeal because it was received more than 30 days after the Funding Commitment Decision Letter
was issued.  Oxford Hills 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 Oxford Hills
failed to file an appeal of the September 28, 1999 Funding Commitment Decision Letter within
the requisite 30-day appeal period, we affirm SLD's decision to dismiss Oxford Hills' 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 Oxford Hills School District M.S.A.D #17, Oxford, Maine on
April 12, 2000, IS DENIED.
                                                            FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            Sharon L. Webber
                                                            Deputy Chief, Accounting Policy Division
                                                            Common Carrier Bureau