[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4767-4768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2108]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Intent To Compromise Claim Against Community Unit School District 
300, Carpentersville, IL

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of intent to compromise a claim with request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Education (Department) intends 
to compromise a claim against Community Unit School District 300, 
Carpentersville, Illinois (CUSD 300) now pending before the Office of 
Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), Docket No. 02-91-R. Before 
compromising a claim, the Department must publish its intent to do so 
in the Federal Register and provide the public an opportunity to 
comment on that action (20 U.S.C. 1234a(j)).

DATES: We must receive your comments on the proposed action on or 
before March 17, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning the proposed action to 
Ronald B. Petracca, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6C111, 
Washington, DC 20202-2110.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald B. Petracca, Esq. Telephone 
(202) 401-8316. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audio tape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation to Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed action. 
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments in room 6c111, FB-6, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing Comments

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments. If you want to schedule an 
appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Background

    The claim in question arose when the Director of the Department's 
Post Audit Group, Financial Improvement and Post Audit Operations, 
Office of the Chief Financial Officer, issued a program determination 
letter (PDL) on September 20, 2002. The PDL demanded a refund of 
$684,299 of funds awarded by the Department to CUSD 300 under the 
Systemwide Improvement Grant Program, which was authorized by sections 
7115 and 7116 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended by Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, 20 U.S.C. 7425-7426 
(2000). The purpose of this program is to support the efforts of school 
districts to serve Limited English proficient students. The grant in 
question had a funding period that began on August 1, 1997 and ended on 
July 31, 1999. The Director determined that the funds disallowed had 
been used for improper or unsupported expenditures for personnel, 
fringe benefits, travel, supplies, training, and other items. In 
addition, the Director disallowed indirect costs charged to the grant 
that were related to these unallowable direct expenditures. Finally, 
the Director disallowed grant funds draw down by CUSD 300 that exceeded 
the amount of funds CUSD 300's own accounting records show as having 
been expended on this grant.
    CUSD 300 filed a timely request for review of the PDL with the 
OALJ. Thereafter, the Administrative Law Judge assigned to the appeal 
granted the parties' joint motion to conduct voluntary discovery, 
engage in settlement negotiations, and suspend the procedural schedule.
    CUSD 300, during the course of settlement discussion with the 
Department, submitted documentation and analysis to support its view 
that $77,706.32 of questioned and

[[Page 4768]]

unsupported personnel costs and unsupported fringe benefit, training, 
and other costs disallowed by the PDL are allowable. After 
consideration of this documentation and analysis, the Department 
proposes to compromise the claim of $684,299 for $607,906.08; nearly 
90% of the amount disallowed by the Director in the PDL.
    Based on the amount that would be repaid by CUSD 300 under the 
proposed settlement agreement, the documentation CUSD 300 submitted 
during settlement discussions, and the litigation risks and costs of 
proceeding through the administrative and, possibly, court process for 
this appeal, the Department has determined that it would not be 
practical or in the public interest to continue this proceeding. 
Rather, under the authority in 20 U.S.C. 1234a(j), the Department has 
determined that compromise of this claim for $607,906.08 is 
appropriate.
    The public is invited to comment on the Department's intent to 
compromise this claim. Additional information may be obtained by 
calling or writing to Ronald B. Petracca, Esq. at the telephone number 
and address listed at the beginning of this document.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC area, at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1234a(j).

    Dated: January 23, 2003.
Jack Martin,
Chief Financial Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-2108 Filed 1-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P