[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83538-83539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28257]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No. ED-2020-SCC-0196]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) 2019-2021: 
Common Core of Data (CCD)

AGENCY: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of 
Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 
seeking public comment on proposed changes to a currently existing 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 21, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be sent within 30 days of 
publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find 
this particular information request by selecting ``Department of 
Education'' under ``Currently Under Review,'' then check ``Only Show 
ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Carrie Clarady, 202-245-6347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with 
an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact 
of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) changes that are described below. 
The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to 
the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be 
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden 
accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the 
Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, 
including through the use of information technology. Please note that 
written comments received in response to this notice will be considered 
public records.
    Title of Collection: National Public Education Financial Survey 
(NPEFS) 2019-2021: Common Core of Data (CCD).
    OMB Control Number: 1850-0067.
    Type of Review: A change to a currently existing information 
collection.

[[Page 83539]]

    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 56.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 6,738.
    Abstract: The National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) is 
the Nation's only source of annual statistical information about total 
revenues and expenditures for public elementary and secondary education 
at the state level. NCES collects data annually from SEAs under Section 
153(a)(1)(I) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, 20 U.S.C. 
9543(a)(1)(I), which authorizes NCES to gather data on the financing 
and management of education. NCES and the Economic Reimbursable Surveys 
Division of the U.S. Census Bureau collaborate to collect public 
education finance data. The U.S. Census Bureau (Census), Governments 
Division, administers the NPEFS data collection for NCES under 
interagency agreement.
    NPEFS provides detailed finance data at the state level, including 
average daily attendance; school district revenues by source (local, 
state, and federal); and expenditures by function (instruction, support 
services, and non-instruction), sub function (e.g., school 
administration), and object (e.g., salaries). This survey also includes 
capital outlay and debt service expenditures. The NPEFS includes data 
on all public schools from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, 
American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and 
the Virgin Islands. NPEFS serves as both a statistical and an 
administrative collection used for a number of federal program funding 
allocations.
    In 2019, NCES requested an extension of approval for the NPEFS data 
collection, OMB Control Number 1850-0067. NPEFS is an annual collection 
of state-level finance data that have been a component of NCES's Common 
Core of Data (CCD) since FY 1982 (covering school year 1981/82). On 
August 22, 2019, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the 
collection of state-level finance data for the data collections of FY 
19-FY 21 data. The expiration date is August 31, 2022. The statistical 
uses of NPEFS were previously set forth in National Public Education 
Financial Survey (NPEFS) 2019-2021: Common Core of Data (CCD), 
Supporting Statement Part A, OMB# 1850-0067 v.17.
    This submission for 30-day public review requests changes to the 
National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) data collection. As 
a direct result of the COVID-19 circumstances, the National Center for 
Education Statistics (NCES) is requesting to:
    1. Amend the instructions for Average Daily Attendance (ADA) on 
NPEFS;
    2. Obtain approval to send a letter to Chief State School Officers 
(CSSOs) and State Fiscal Coordinators pertaining to ADA;
    3. Amend the data plan for NPEFS;
    4. Add certain data items to NPEFS;
    5. Make other small changes to FY 20 NPEFS, based on regular 
communication with state fiscal coordinators; and
    6. Change the estimated respondent burden and the costs to the 
federal government incurred by the above changes.

    Dated: December 17, 2020.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-28257 Filed 12-21-20; 8:45 am]
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