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Here's an e-rate update from Marilyn Johnson at the State Library-- The following news is for Funding Year 6 (July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004): If you haven't already done so, it is time to file your 471 for Funding Year 6 -- this is assuming that you have already filed your 470. Not long ago, I sent out a checklist (a sort of timeline) for the filing process. You still have time! If you haven't already filed your 470, then do so! It has to be posted a minimum of 28 days before you can file your 471 Form. The 471 Filing Window has been extended! It will now be open until February 6, 2003. The reason for the extension is because of significant problems when the window opened in early November. Don't let the extension cause you to procrastinate! File as soon as you can. You can file your 471 on or after the "Allowable Contract Date" indicated on your Receipt Acknowledgement Letter. If you haven't received your letter yet, you can get this information by searching for your posted 470 online at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp Click on Search Posted under the 470, and then enter the appropriate information to find your 470. You need to know that there is a NEW 471 Form -- with a date of October 2002 in the right-hand corner. They encourage you to use the new form, but they will not reject your application if you use the previous version of this form. If you file online, you will automatically use the new form. If you file on paper, be sure to use the correct form. The reason there is a new form is that there is a new method for calculating a library's E-Rate discount. It is much less complicated than the previous calculation. At the end of this email message, I have included information from the Schools and Libraries Division detailing the calculation information. You can obtain the percentage of students eligible for the Free/Reduced lunch program by contacting your local school district or by going to http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/erate/data2002/index.html This is the latest information available. Simply enter the name of the school district or districts that your library serves. With those numbers in hand, you can calculate your discount. If the information has not been completed for your district for 2002, you may use the previous year's data. As always, you will need to verify your Rural or Urban Classification. You can do this by going to http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/msa/RuralUrbanClassYr4.asp Below, you will find information about the new discount calculation for libraries, but you may also find the information at the following location http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/Discount.asp#library Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions. Since the 471 Window has been extended, we won't feel as much pressure over the holidays! SEASONS GREETINGS TO EVERYONE! Happy E-Rating! Marilyn Johnson Library Technology Consultant Texas State Library & Archives 512 463-6624 *************************************New Discount Calculation Method for Libraries************************** The FCC has approved a revised method for libraries to calculate their E-rate discounts. Library outlet/branches will now obtain their discount percentages directly from the Discount Matrix, using (1) the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program in the school district in which the library outlet/branch is located and (2) the Rural or Urban status of the library outlet/branch. In previous funding years, a library outlet/branch used the Weighted Average Discount of the school district in which the library outlet/branch was located, and entered that Weighted Average Discount in the far right-hand column of Form 471 Block 4 Worksheet B. Beginning with Funding Year 2003, a library outlet/branch will follow a two-step procedure to calculate its discount: Step 1. Calculate the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program in the school district in which the library outlet/branch is located. This percentage is calculated by dividing the number of students in the school district eligible for the National School Lunch Program by the total number of students in the school district. These numbers may be available from the school district, from the state Department of Education, or from a state web site. Step 2. Using the percentage calculated in Step 1 and the Rural or Urban status of the library outlet/branch, locate the percentage discount to which the library outlet/branch is entitled in the Discount Matrix <http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/dmatrix.asp>. The Rural or Urban status of the library outlet/branch is determined by the geographic location of the library outlet/branch, using the Rural/Urban Classification <http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/msa/RuralUrbanClassYr4.asp> table on this web site. Library systems will continue to use the same method to calculate their Shared Discount Percentage among their library outlet/branches (Worksheet B Item 10c), once the discounts for the individual library outlets/branches have been calculated as above and entered in Worksheet B. NOTE: The revised Form 471 and Instructions for Funding Year 2003 feature a date of October 2002 in the lower right-hand corner. The Form 471 Instructions include a description of the above calculation method, and the column heading in the revised Form 471 Block 4 Worksheet B no longer features the "Weighted Average Discount" language. Applicants are strongly urged to use that form for Funding Year 2003. However, the SLD will not reject applications submitted on the earlier version of this form, which features a date of October 2000. Libraries must use the revised method described above for calculating their discounts for Funding Year 2003, even if they submit the October 2000 version of the Form 471. --------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Include in body: unsubscribe ctls-l For information on CTLS-L please visit: http://www.ctls.net/document/ctls-l.htm
