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Home > Schools & Libraries (2005) > Frequently Asked Questions
Hurricane Katrina Questions for Schools and Libraries
Q. What did the FCC’s recent Order mean for schools and libraries? A. Applicants affected by Hurricane Katrina are eligible to participate in a special application window that will provide additional funds to certain schools and libraries through the end of Funding Year 2005. Schools and libraries directly affected by Hurricane Katrina are eligible for a 90% discount on Internal Connections requests for Funding Years 2005 and 2006. Schools and libraries “directly affected” by Hurricane Katrina are defined as both located in counties and parishes eligible for FEMA individual disaster assistance and having incurred substantial damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. For those schools and libraries, the “Two out of Five” Rule for Internal Connections starts in Funding Year 2006 instead of Funding Year 2005. Applicants that are directly affected are given broad latitude in changing the specific services already approved for the current Funding Year. Finally, additional funds are also available to those schools and libraries that have experienced a substantial increase in the population they serve due to Hurricane Katrina. Q. How do I know if I’m eligible for relief? A. Schools and libraries in counties designated by FEMA for individual assistance and that sustained substantial damage are eligible to apply for funds to restore their networks to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels. These schools and libraries are called “directly affected” and are listed below. Alabama – Baldwin, Mobile, Pickens, Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa, and Washington. Louisiana – Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. Mississippi – Adams, Amite, Attala,
Bolivar, Claiborne, Choctaw, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George,
Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis,
Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Lowndes,
Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike,
Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Tippah, Walthall, Warren, Wayne,
Wilkinson, Winston, and Yazoo. Q. What specific relief can I get? A. If you are a school or library in the counties
and parishes designated by FEMA as eligible for individual disaster assistance
and you sustained substantial damage by Hurricane Katrina, then you can apply
as a “directly affected” entity for Internal Connections support
to help restore your network to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels. These funds must
be used in Funding Year 2005. Directly affected schools and libraries will automatically
be eligible for a 90% discount on Internal Connections for Funding Years 2005
and 2006. They can also request changes to the services on their original Funding
Year 2005 applications. Finally, for the purposes of the “Two out of Five”
Rule for Internal Connections, your clocks will start in Funding Year 2006,
even if you receive funding for Internal Connections in Funding Year 2005. If
you are a school or library that accepted evacuees and your population increased
by at least ten percent, then you can apply for an increase in your discount
rate as well as an increase in the services and products needed to serve your
new population. Schools and libraries in the counties and parishes designated by FEMA as eligible for individual disaster assistance received a blanket waiver from the FCC on September 21, 2005 that extended any deadlines by 150 days until January 26, 2006. Consistent with the Hurricane Katrina Waiver Order (DA 05-2484) the following filings must be received or postmarked no later than January 26, 2006. • Appeals Q. How does a directly affected entity determine “substantial damage?” A. If substantial damage to equipment and services eligible for Schools and Libraries Program discounts has been sustained at an entity’s location, that entity is directly affected. So, for example: Damage to a school building included damage to the Telecommunications
Services that were discounted under the Schools and Libraries Program. Telecommunications
Services can no longer be provided to the school at that location. If the school
opens at a new location where Telecommunications Services can be provided, those
services can be brought to pre-Hurricane Katrina functionality at a 90% discount
rate. Q. Can applicants ask for more money than they did in the regular 2005 Window? A. Yes. The purpose of the special window
is to restore schools and libraries to a pre-Hurricane Katrina level of functionality.
So to the extent applicants experienced damage to USF eligible equipment as
a result of Hurricane Katrina that was either installed before 2005 or purchased
with non-USF funds, they can request funds to restore this equipment to its
functionality before the hurricane struck. Q. How do I apply for the additional money? A. You must apply for additional funds during the special
Hurricane Katrina application window, which is open now through December 13,
2005. A. Review your technology plan to ensure that
it supports and validates the services that you will be requesting on your Forms
470 (Description of Services Requested and Certification) and Forms
471 (Service Ordered and Certification). Remember that you must have
a written plan before you file any of the application forms. Q. For this special window, do I have to post a new Form 470? A. If you are seeking discounts on services
that are being purchased off a contract that was entered into as a result of
the previous posting of a Form 470 -- and that contract is still in effect and
covers the goods and service that you are seeking -- then you do not have to
file a new Form 470. All others must post a new Form 470. Q. Can the Form 470 and Form 471 be transmitted via fax? A. The Form 470 can be received via fax. The Form 471 cannot. USAC is providing this one-time exception for faxed forms because the Form 470 must be posted on the USAC website no later than November 15, 2005. Because some affected applicants may be experiencing difficulties in overnight delivery and mail services, this one-time exception has been granted for Forms 470. Here is the procedure for submitting your Form 470 via fax: 1. Sender should make sure the transmission or communications
reporting feature is 'ON' at their end for proof of delivery Q. If applicants submit their new Forms 470 on paper, how will service providers be able to search and find bid opportunities? A. Once the forms are submitted, USAC will
data enter and post the applicable Forms 470 under the 2005 Summary Files on
the Schools and Libraries section of the USAC website per the usual 470 process
Q. Can a state agency file a Form 470 that then results in a contract that is not signed by the state? For example, can a state file a Form 470 and then leave the vendor selection and contract award to the local school or library districts? A. No. The Form 470 must be filed by the entity
that will undertake the competitive bidding – including the vendor selection
– and then that same entity must enter into a contract with winning bidder.
Q. What’s the deadline for applications? A. The special Hurricane Katrina window is
now open and closes at 11:59 pm ET on December 13, 2005.
Q. My school suffered as a result of both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Does this affect the relief available to me? A. The FCC Order that was issued only provides
relief to those applicants that are located in the Hurricane Katrina designated
counties for individual assistance and that incurred substantial damage as a
result of Hurricane Katrina. Libraries and schools that meet both parts of the
eligibility test may receive additional funding to restore their networks to
pre-Hurricane Katrina levels. If damage was done to your facilities as a result
of Hurricane Rita, you may not claim for reimbursement for damage done as a
result of that storm. This Order only covers the damage incurred as a result
of Hurricane Katrina. Q. My library was substantially damaged as a result of Hurricane Rita. Am I eligible for relief under this Order? A. No. There is no special relief for those entities that
sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Rita. Q. I meet the definition of a directly affected entity. Are there any limits to the type of services that I may purchase in this special window? A. Yes. The FCC Order allows you to get special
funding to restore your network to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels. It does not
provide for funding to improve the networks that you had in place. For example,
if you had a basic network before Hurricane Katrina, these funds must be used
to restore your network to the same level of functionality. You may not use
these funds to purchase enhanced network functionality. Q. My school is not located in the area designated for individual assistance but I still sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. What relief is available to me? A. In order to be eligible for assistance,
you must be located in the area designated by FEMA as eligible for individual
assistance and have suffered substantial damage from Hurricane
Katrina. If you cannot meet both parts of the test, then you are not eligible
for relief under this Order as a directly affected entity.
Q. I am a library. How do I determine if my population has increased by ten percent because of an influx of Hurricane Katrina evacuees? A. Libraries may use one of several methods
for documenting their increase in population, though all must be based on tangible
criteria and provide a realistic result. Examples include: (1)
at least a ten percent increase in the number of library cards issued, (2)
at least a ten percent increase in public Internet Access use in the library,
(3) at least a ten percent increase in the number of patrons
entering your library, or (4) at least a ten percent increase
in the general population as measured by FEMA. In all cases, you must retain
documentation of your increased population and it cannot be based simply on
an unsubstantiated estimate.
Q. I received a number of evacuees. What relief is available to me? A. Schools and libraries that have experienced an increase of 10% or more in their populations served resulting from the influx of Hurricane Katrina evacuees are eligible for: Additional services needed to support the unexpected increase in population; and/or an increase in their discount rate. Given we are treating all Hurricane Katrina evacuees as eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), a school or library may see its discount rate increase as a result of the increased percentage of NSLP students. To get this relief, schools and libraries must
have filed Form 471 in the regular FY2005 filing window and must file an amended
application in the special Hurricane Katrina window. See the “How to Apply”
section of the website for specific instructions.
Q. My population increased by ten percent overall. Is this sufficient or does each school or library have to show an increase in population of ten percent or more? A. In order to qualify for the relief for
those institutions that are serving displaced citizens or students, each school
or library must meet the ten percent threshold. This test is not applied at
the district level but rather at the individual school or library level. Q. My school received an increase in over ten percent of my population as a result of the influx of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, but I’m not located in the list of counties that are included in the Order for areas that received evacuees. Am I still eligible? A. Yes. You do not have to be located in any
specific county or state in order to be eligible for this category of relief.
You only need to meet the ten percent increase in population threshold.
Q. My school has lost students and then regained other students because of evacuation patterns in my community. What number do I use to determine if I have had a 10% increase? A. The 10% increase must be a net increase
compared to your pre-Hurricane Katrina student count. For example, if you had
800 students before the hurricane hit, lost 200, and gained 300 evacuees, your
new student count would be 900 students, which is a 100 student increase, or
12.5%. However, if you had 800 students, lost 300, and gained 200 evacuees,
your new student count would be 700 students, which would be a net decline of
100 students, and you would not qualify for relief. Q. My population increased as a result of Hurricane Rita. Am I eligible for relief? A. No. This relief is only available if your
increase in population is the direct result of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina.
Q. If an entity has to provide increased services, but cannot demonstrate a 10% increase in population due to the influx of evacuees, can that entity still file an application in the special Hurricane Katrina window? A. USAC will not approve funding requests
for indirectly affected entities that fall below the 10% threshold. If such
requests are filed and then denied, the applicant may file an appeal with the
FCC. Q. I meet the definition of both the directly affected entity and the indirectly affected entity. Can I get relief as both types of entities? A. Yes. You can apply for relief, following
the specific instructions for each of the types of relief that you are eligible
for (see “How to Apply” section). However, you must separate your
funding requests so that each Funding Request Number (FRN) only provides relief
under the “directly affected” entity status or the “indirectly
affected” entity status. However, FRNs for both categories can be included
in the same Form 471 (Description of Services Ordered and Certification
Form) filed within the special window. Q. I am a directly affected entity and want to take advantage of all of the different kinds of relief. How do I do this? A. You must follow the specific instructions
for each kind of relief (see “How to Apply” section) that you are
seeking. However, you may put all of your paperwork in one envelope and mail
it to USAC together Q. I am a directly affected entity. I want to request an increase in my discounts for all of my funding requests to 90%. Can I just do that automatically? A. No. You must follow the instructions list
on the website to request the increase in your discount to 90%. Note that for
recurring services, USAC will only increase your discount for September through
June and you will keep your old discount rate for July and August. The discount
rate for nonrecurring services will be 90% for the entire amount. Q. My service provider wants to waive my ten percent share as a sign of support for our district. Is that OK? A. No. The FCC Order does not provide any
exemptions from the applicant’s responsibility to pay its own non-discounted
share. This amount may not be donated or waived by your service providers. Q. My service provider wants to provide some additional eligible equipment and services for free as a sign of support for our district. Is that OK? A. No. The FCC Order does not provide any
exemptions from the rules that prohibit the service provider from providing
free services to an eligible entity when they are also providing discounted
services to that same entity. Q. A new service provider said that they would fix my network tomorrow. I need my network to be up and running. Can I just take their bid? A. No. There are no exemptions from the FCC
rules pertaining to competitive bidding. These requirements include, in part,
the requirement to run a free and open competitive bid process, to post a Description
of Services Requested and Certification Form (Form 470), and to wait 28 days
before signing a contract. An applicant must select the winning bid based on
no factor weighing equal to or more than the price of the eligible goods and
services. Furthermore, you must still follow all of your state and local procurement
regulations. Q. Say a service substitution by a directly affected entity falls outside the scope of the originally cited Form 470. For example, the Form 470 was posted only for Telecommunications Services, but the entity wants to file a service substitution for Internal Connections using that funding commitment. Can the applicant post a new Form 470 for Internal Connections, consider all bids received after the 28-day waiting period, choose the most cost-effective solution, and then complete the service substitution? A. Yes. The services requested in the service
substitution must be covered by a Form 470 posted for the category or categories
of service for which the service substitution is requested. Q. The deadline for service substitution requests is the last day to invoice. Is that the case here, too? A. No. To take advantage of the special expanded
service substitutions available for directly affected entities, you must file
those requests by January 26, 2006. Q. When are my Form 470 Certification pages due? A. All certification pages and applications for new funding are due by the close of the special window, which is December 13, 2005. Requests for service substitutions and for waivers of the Two out of Five
Rule are due by January 26, 2006. Q. I lost all of my records during the flooding. What should I do now? A. Document that you lost all of your records
during the hurricane and describe in general categories the documentation that
you lost. Retain that documentation for audit purposes. You may also request
copies of any documentation that you previously submitted to USAC and we will
fax or mail it back to you. Q. Some of my facilities have closed and the district is in the process of evaluating which facilities will reopen and when. If I can salvage some of my equipment, where can I use it? A. Equipment located at schools and libraries that have temporarily or permanently closed may be transferred to another eligible facility. The receiving facility does not need to be eligible for the same discount rate. However, you must notify USAC of the transfer. Instructions for doing so are located on the Schools and Libraries section of the USAC website at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/transfer_equipment.asp.
Q. Are there special funds set aside for Katrina applicants? A. No. The FCC states in the Order that the
special window is estimated to have a $132 million impact on the schools and
libraries fund. This is a demand estimate and does not represent a cap on Hurricane
Katrina funding. The cap for 2005 is the $2.25 billion annual cap for Universal
Service Support for schools and libraries. We will accommodate Hurricane Katrina
requests within that cap. Q. Will funding for Priority Two services in 2005 go below the current 90% threshold? A. The funding threshold for Priority Two
services in Funding Year 2005 has not been determined at this time. Priority
Two services are funded at the highest level of priority first, which is calculated
based on the percentage of students eligible for NSLP. For 2005, the FCC has
instructed USAC to include applicants directly affected by Hurricane Katrina
in the category receiving the highest level of priority – 90% - for Priority
Two services. If sufficient dollars remain after these priority commitments
are made, the FCC may approve lowering the threshold for Priority Two services. Q. If a consortium owned a piece of equipment located at a damaged school, can the consortium replace the equipment at a 90% discount? A. The determination of substantial damage
is by location. Therefore, equipment located in a substantially damaged school
can be brought to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels at a 90% discount level. Q. Some of the schools in my district were damaged and others were not. How can I apply? A. Any substantially damaged entity (in this
case, school or non-instructional facility) can ask that its discount be increased
to 90%. Entities that were not substantially damaged are not eligible for this
relief. Applicants should take this into account when amending their applications. Q. If there was no damage to eligible equipment and services as a result of Hurricane Katrina but there was physical damage to my school or library (e.g., part of the roof was damaged), am I eligible for relief? A. Physical damage to a school or library
alone does not qualify you for relief. There must also be damage to equipment
and services eligible for Schools and Libraries discounts, such as the sustained
interruption of telecommunications service. Q. Can basic telephone service be replaced with VOIP service? A. VOIP services are not eligible under current
program rules. Wireline service, however, can be replaced by wireless service. Q. If a school had an old router that was damaged, can the school replace the router for one with an option for video capability? A. Because of changes in technology, a new
router may have the capability for additional services that did not exist in
the older router, such as a slot for a video card. In returning to pre-Hurricane
Katrina levels, a school can purchase a router with additional capabilities
but not additional services. For example, an equivalent router may have a slot
where an optional video card may be installed, but an applicant may not receive
funding for a video card that would provide capability beyond pre-Hurricane
Katrina levels. Q. My school has a commitment for Telecommunications Services for FY2005 and the school was substantially damaged. Can I do a service substitution for Internal Connections using that commitment and then re-apply for Telecommunications Services at 90% during the special Hurricane Katrina window? A. While this is technically possible, USAC
does not encourage applicants to switch categories of service unnecessarily;
this might cause confusion. A more straightforward approach is to continue to
use the commitment for Telecommunications Services, and file a new application
for the Internal Connections. Q. In my district of 15 schools, 12 were completely destroyed and three were undamaged. I have a funding commitment for shared services for all 15 schools. Can I use the entire commitment for FY2005? A. Because your existing commitment was to
serve the student population in 15 schools, you should reduce the commitment
using a Form 500 to reasonably serve the number of schools and the number of
students that will be open during the funding year. Q. The Item 25 certification states that the applicant has secured access to all of the resources necessary to use the services purchased effectively. How can I make this certification truthfully if I do not have, for example, an approved budget or a current assessment of damage to my computers? A. USAC will ask for a letter or other declaration,
signed by an authorized person for the school or library, describing in detail
how the resources will be secured before discounted services begin but no later
than the end of the Funding Year. Q. Can an entity repeat a funding request on a Form 471 filed in the Hurricane Katrina window if the entity does not yet have a funding commitment on its original FY2005 request? A. USAC advises against such an action. If
the entity is bringing its services back to pre-Hurricane Katrina functionality,
it is very unlikely that the request made in the special Hurricane Katrina window
would need to duplicate the original funding request. Q. If a directly affected school is re-opening in a different location, can it apply to bring the network in that location to the level of functionality that existed in the original building? A. Yes, as long as the damaged entity is in
the affected area and sustained substantial damage. Q. The State of Mississippi has proclaimed that 100 percent of its students are eligible for free and reduced lunch through November 30, 2005. How does this affect the discount level for indirectly affected schools? A. Indirectly affected entities must provide student counts - that is, the total number of students eligible for NSLP – and then calculate their revised discounts. USAC recommends an October 1 date to calculate discounts since this is consistent with its current instructions to applicants. However, if the School Food Authorities at the entities in counties designated by FEMA as receiving individual assistance for either Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita were unable to maintain the normal accountability systems or use a manual or alternate system to accurately count and claim free meals on October 1, 2005, then they may claim that all students are receiving a free lunch, which will in turn make them eligible for a 90% discount.. Q. The FCC’s Order seems to suggest that any funding I receive in excess of the cost for products and services requested in my application must be returned to USAC. Is this true? A. No. If insurance or FEMA funds, for example,
are earmarked or needed for general reconstruction, those funds can be used
accordingly. It is critical that program applicants account for the funds they
receive for library and school reconstruction for audit purposes and to show,
more specifically, that they are not “double dipping” for the same
rendered products and services. Q. If a school will reopen in September 2006, can I apply in the special Hurricane Katrina window for services delivered to that school? A. Yes. If the services need to be delivered
in order for the network to be functional at the beginning of the school year,
you may apply for those services in the special Hurricane Katrina window. The
services need to be delivered by the deadline for receiving services in that
fund year, which is June 30 for recurring services and September 30 for non-recurring
services. If you are unsure that a facility will reopen by September 2006, you
should not invoice USAC for the products and services until you are sure that
the school or library will reopen. This is because if the school or library
fails to reopen, then USAC may rescind the commitment and seek cash recovery
of any funds disbursed.
Content Last Modified: November 14, 2005
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