[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 154 (Tuesday, August 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 42834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21402]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice Establishing Deadlines for Submission of Requests for 
Waivers and Waiver Extensions That Would Directly Affect School-Level 
Activities

ACTION: Notice establishing deadlines for the submission of requests 
for waivers and waiver extensions that would directly affect school-
level activities.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, the Acting Deputy Secretary establishes 
deadlines for the submission of previously granted waivers and for the 
submission of new waiver requests under sections 14401 and 1113(a)(7) 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), section 
311(a) of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, and section 502 of the 
School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994.

DATES: Except in extraordinary circumstances, the following deadlines 
apply to requests for waivers or waiver extensions affecting school-
level activities:
    Requests for waivers that would be implemented in the semester 
immediately following January 1, 1999 must be submitted no later than 
October 1, 1998.
    Requests for waivers that would be implemented in the beginning of 
the 1999-2000 school year must be submitted no later than April 1, 
1999.
    These deadlines apply only to waivers that would directly affect 
school-level activities. For example, the deadlines would apply to 
requests for waivers of the Title I targeting provisions or of the 
minimum poverty threshold required for implementation of a schoolwide 
program. However, the deadlines would not apply to waivers of 
requirements relating to the consolidation of administrative funds.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Waiver applicants are encouraged to submit 
their requests as early as possible and not wait until the deadlines to 
seek waivers. The requests will be reviewed upon receipt.
    For purposes of this notice, the submission date is the date that 
the waiver request is received by the U.S. Department of Education 
(Department) in substantially approvable form. A waiver request is 
considered to be in substantially approvable form when it has 
adequately addressed the applicable statutory criteria governing 
waivers.
    During the period of time new waiver requests are under review by 
the Department, a waiver applicant must continue to comply with the 
requirement that is the subject of the waiver request.

ADDRESS FOR SUBMISSION OF REQUESTS: All requests for waivers or waiver 
extensions should be submitted to the following address: Assistant 
Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Attention: Waiver 
Staff, U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, 
Washington, D.C. 20202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information on waivers may be obtained 
from the Department's Waiver Assistance Line, (202) 401-7801. Copies of 
the Department's updated waiver guidance, which provide examples of 
waivers and describe how to apply for a waiver, are available at this 
number. The guidance, along with other information on flexibility, is 
also available at the Department's World Wide Web site at http://
www.ed.gov/flexibility.
    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 document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

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 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. These 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.

    Dated: August 4, 1998.
Marshall S. Smith,
Acting Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-21402 Filed 8-10-98; 8:45 am]
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