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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 )
                                   )
Bryn Athyn Church School           )    File No. SLD-156876
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania           )
                                   )
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:  November 28, 2000             Released:  November 29, 2000

By the Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

1.     The Accounting Policy Division has under consideration a Letter of Appeal filed by
Bryn Athyn Church School (Bryn Athyn), Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, seeking review of a
decision issued by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service
Administrative Company (Administrator).  Bryn Athyn seeks review of SLD's refusal to
consider Bryn Athyn's appeal to SLD on the grounds that it was untimely filed.  For the reasons
set forth below, we deny Bryn Athyn's appeal.
2.     SLD issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter on April 14, 2000, denying Bryn
Athyn's request for discounted services under the schools and libraries universal service support
mechanism.  Specifically, SLD denied Bryn Athyn's request for discounts for internal
connections, Funding Request Number (FRN) 324467.  On September 15, 2000, Bryn Athyn
filed an appeal of SLD's decision to deny FRN 324467.  On September 20, 2000, SLD issued an
Administrator's Decision on Appeal indicating that it would not consider Bryn Athyn's appeal
because it was received more than 30 days after the Funding Commitment Decision Letter was
issued.  Bryn Athyn 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 Bryn Athyn
failed to file an appeal of the April 14, 2000 Funding Commitment Decision Letter within the
requisite 30-day appeal period, we affirm SLD's decision to dismiss Bryn Athyn'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 Bryn Athyn Church School, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania on
September 28, 2000, IS DENIED.
                                                            FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            Mark G. Seifert
                                                            Deputy Chief, Accounting Policy Division
                                                            Common Carrier Bureau