Before the
                Federal Communications Commission
                      Washington, D.C. 20554

                                   )         
In the Matter of                   )    
                                   )
Request for Review                      )
of the Decision of                      )
the Universal Service Administrator by  )
                                   )    
Methacton School District                    )                        
     Norristown, Pennsylvania                )    File Nos. SLD-57828 and
67169
                                   )
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service    )    CC Docket No. 96-45
                                   )    
Changes to the Board of Directors of the          )    CC Docket No. 97-21
National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc.  )
                                   
                                
                             ORDER
                                
                                
     Adopted:  October 15, 1999                             Released:  October 15, 1999  

By the Common Carrier Bureau:

     1.   This Order dismisses the Letter of Appeal dated May 18, 1999 by the Methacton
School District (Methacton).  The Letter of Appeal seeks review concerning funding requests
made by Methacton for Arcola Intermediate School (Arcola) and Audubon Elementary School
(Audubon).  Under section 54.720 of the Commission's rules, any such appeal must be filed within
30 days of the issuance of the decision for which review is sought.  

     2.   With respect to Arcola Intermediate School, the relevant Administrator's Decision
on Appeal was dated April 13, 1999. Therefore, the Arcola portion of the appeal was not filed
within the specified 30 day period, and  will be dismissed without further consideration.

     3.   With respect to Audubon Elementary School, we also dismiss the appeal as late-
filed.  The timing of events as to Audubon was as follows.  On November 20, 1998, Audubon's
Funding Commitment Decision Letter was issued.  On February 19, 1999, Methacton filed an
appeal with the Administrator.  In its Letter of Appeal, Methacton acknowledged that the appeal
was late-filed, but asked that it be considered nevertheless.  On May 18, 1999, Methacton sent to
the Commission, without waiting for a decision on the appeal it had filed with the Administrator, a
letter appealing the original November 20, 1998 decision of the Schools and Libraries Division.

     3.   Given that Methacton proceeded to file its Letter of Appeal with the Commission
without waiting for a decision on the appeal it had filed with the Administrator, we will consider
Methacton's May 18, 1999 appeal to the Commission as an appeal of the November 20, 1998
Funding Commitment Decision Letter.  As such, we dismiss the May 18, 1999 appeal as untimely. 
As discussed above, section 54.720 of the Commission's rules requires such appeals to be filed
within 30 days of the issuance of the decision as to which review is sought.  Therefore, Methacton
was required to file its appeal of Audubon's November 20, 1998 Funding Commitment Decision
Letter no later than December 21, 1998.  Thus, we dismiss the Audubon portion of the appeal for
Methacton's failure to satisfy the requirements of section 54.720.

     5.   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, 9.291, and
54.722(a), that the Letter of Appeal filed May 18, 1999 by the Methacton School District IS
DISMISSED.

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


                              Lisa M. Zaina
                              Deputy Chief, Common Carrier Bureau