[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 58 (Monday, March 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17407-17408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7118]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Annual Survey 
of School System Finances (Formerly Named Annual Survey of Local 
Government Finances--School Systems)

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before May 25, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, (202) 482-0336, Department of Commerce, 
Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or 
via the Internet at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Jeremy Phillips, U.S. Census Bureau, Governments 
Division, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233-6800; (301) 763-
5653.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The United States Census Bureau plans to request an extension to 
the current Office of Management and Budget clearance for the Annual 
Survey of School System Finances.
    The Annual Survey of School System Finances is the only 
comprehensive source of public elementary-secondary school system 
finance data collected on a nationwide scale using uniform definitions, 
concepts, and procedures. The collection covers the revenues, 
expenditures, debt, and assets of all public elementary-secondary 
school systems. This data collection has been coordinated with the 
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The NCES uses this 
collection to satisfy its need for school finance data.
    Fiscal data provided by respondents aid data users in measuring the 
effectiveness of resource allocation. The products of this data 
collection make it possible for data users to search a single database 
to obtain information on such things as per pupil expenditures and the 
percent of state, local, and federal funding for each school system. 
Elementary-secondary education related spending is the single largest 
financial activity of state and local governments. Education finance 
statistics provided by the Census Bureau allow for analyses of how 
public elementary-secondary school systems receive their funding and 
how they are spending their funds.
    The forms and survey announcement used in the school finance 
portion of the survey are:
    F-33 Survey Announcement. This letter is mailed electronically at 
the beginning of each survey period to solicit the assistance of the 
state education agencies. It establishes the conditions by which the 
state education agencies provide their school finance data to the 
Census Bureau.
    Form F-33. This form contains item descriptions and definitions of 
the elementary-secondary education finance items collected jointly by 
the Census Bureau and NCES. It is used primarily as a worksheet and 
instruction guide by the state education agencies providing school 
finance data centrally for the school systems in their respective 
states. All states supply their data by electronic means. Revisions to 
this survey include the removal of the data item collecting Title V, 
Part A (Innovative Programs) revenue. (Funding for this federal program 
ended on September 30, 2009.) There may also be the removal of three 
data items collecting data for the American Recovery and Reinvestment 
Act funds. Once states are no longer able to collect or expend American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, those data items will be removed 
from the collection. The data items were added as non-substantial 
changes to the data collection after the previous OMB clearance, and 
collection began with fiscal year 2009 data.
    Form F-33-L1. This is a supplemental form sent directly to school 
systems in states where the state education agencies cannot provide 
information on the assets of individual school systems. School systems 
have the choice to submit their data via paper, fax, or Internet.
    Form F-33-L2. This is a supplemental form sent directly to school 
systems in states where the state education agency cannot provide 
information on the indebtedness of individual school systems. School 
systems have the choice to submit their data via paper, fax, or 
Internet.
    Form F-33-L3. This is a supplemental form sent directly to school 
systems in states where the state education agency cannot provide 
information on both indebtedness and assets. This letter combines the 
items requested on the forms F-33-L1 and F-33-L2. School systems have 
the choice to submit their data via paper, fax, or Internet.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau collects almost all of the finance data for local 
school systems from state education agency databases through central 
collection arrangements with the state education agencies. The states 
transfer most of this information in electronic format over the 
Internet via file transfer protocol. The Census Bureau has facilitated 
central collection of school system finance data by accepting data in 
multiple formats.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0700.
    Form Number: F-33, F-33-L1, F-33-L2 and F-33-L3.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State and local governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,230.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.24 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,990.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $92,229.
    Respondents Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C., Sections 161 and 182.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c)

[[Page 17408]]

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 20, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-7118 Filed 3-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P