[Federal Register: January 22, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 3315-3316]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ja98-37]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Submission of Data by State Educational Agencies
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of dates of submission of State revenue and expenditure
reports for fiscal year 1997 and of revisions to those reports.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education announces dates for the submission
by State educational agencies (SEAs) of expenditure and revenue data
and average daily attendance statistics on ED Form 2447 (the National
Public Education Financial Survey) for fiscal year (FY) 1997. The
Secretary sets these dates to ensure that data are available to serve
as the basis for timely distribution of Federal funds. The U.S. Bureau
of the Census is the data collection agent for the Department's
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The data will be
published by NCES and will be used by the Secretary in the calculation
of allocations for FY 1999 appropriated funds.
DATES: The date on which submissions will first be accepted is March
15, 1998. The mandatory deadline for the final submission of all data,
including any revisions to previously submitted data, is September 8,
1998.
ADDRESSES: SEAs may mail ED Form 2447 to: Bureau of the Census,
ATTENTION: Governments Division, Washington, DC 20233-6800.
Alternatively, SEAs may hand deliver submissions to: Governments
Division, Bureau of the Census, 8905 Presidential Parkway, Washington
Plaza II, Room 508, Upper Marlboro, MD, by 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday
through Friday.
If an SEA's submission is received by the Bureau of the Census
after September 8, in order for the submission to be accepted, the SEA
must show one of the following as proof that the submission was mailed
on or before the mandatory deadline date:
1. A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
2. A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
3. A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
4. Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary.
If the SEA mails ED Form 2447 through the U.S. Postal Service, the
Secretary does not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
1. A private metered postmark.
2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, an SEA should check with
its local post office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Lawrence R. MacDonald, Chief,
Bureau of the Census, ATTENTION: Governments Division, Washington, DC
20233-6800. Telephone: (301) 457-1574. Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this notice in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to: Frank Johnson, National Center for Education
Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.,
Room 410E, Washington, DC 20208-5651.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the authority of section 404(a) of the
National Education Statistics Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 9003(a)), which
authorizes NCES to gather data on the financing of education, NCES
collects data annually from SEAs through ED Form 2447. The report from
SEAs includes attendance, revenue, and expenditure data from which NCES
determines the average State per pupil expenditure (SPPE) for
elementary and secondary education.
In addition to using the SPPE data as useful information on the
financing of elementary and secondary education, the Secretary uses
these data directly in calculating allocations for certain formula
grant programs, including Title I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Improving America's Schools
Act of 1994 (Title I), Impact Aid, and Indian Education. Other programs
such as the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Technology Literacy
Challenge Fund, the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
under Title VII of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the
Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program, and the Safe and
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program make use of SPPE data
indirectly because their formulas are based, in whole or in part, on
State Title I allocations.
In January 1998, the Bureau of the Census, acting as the data
collection agent for NCES, will mail to SEAs ED Form 2447 with
instructions and request that SEAs submit data to the Bureau of the
Census on March 15, 1998, or as soon as possible thereafter. SEAs are
urged to submit accurate and complete data on March 15, or as soon as
possible thereafter, to facilitate timely processing. Submissions by
SEAs to the Bureau of the Census will be checked for accuracy and
returned to each SEA for verification.
Having accurate information, on time, is critical to an efficient
and fair allocation process, as well as the NCES statistical process.
To ensure timely distribution of Federal education funds based on the
best, most accurate data available, NCES establishes, for allocation
purposes, September 8, 1998,
[[Page 3316]]
as the final date by which ED Form 2447 must be submitted. However, if
an SEA submits revised data after the final deadline that results in a
lower SPPE figure, its allocations may be adjusted downward or the
Department may request the SEA to return funds. SEAs should be aware
that all of these data are subject to audit and that, if any
inaccuracies are discovered in the audit process, the Department may
seek recovery of overpayments for the applicable programs. If an SEA
submits revised data after September 8, the data may also be too late
to be included in the final NCES published dataset.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of a document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9003(a).
Dated: January 15, 1998.
Ricky T. Takai,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 98-1505 Filed 1-21-98; 8:45 am]
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