[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20790-20791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09766]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of
[[Page 20791]]
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: Annual Survey of School System Finances.
OMB Control Number: 0607-0700.
Form Number(s): F-33, F-33-L1, F-33-L2, F-33-L3.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Number of Respondents: 3,681.
Average Hours per Response: 1 hour and 4 minutes.
Burden Hours: 3,951.
Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau, on behalf of the U.S.
Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES), requests an extension of approval for the Annual Survey of
School System Finances, the source of the most comprehensive national
data set on school district finances.
The Census Bureau collects these data from the universe of school
districts using uniform definitions and concepts of revenue,
expenditure, debt, and assets as defined by the NCES handbook Financial
Accounting for Local and State School Systems. This survey and the
Annual Surveys of State and Local Government Finances (OMB No. 0607-
0585) are conducted as part of the Census Bureau's State and Local
Government Finance program. Through this program, the Census Bureau
collects data from cities, counties, states, and special district
governments as well as local school systems in order to produce state
and national totals of government spending. Local school system
spending comprises a significant portion of total government spending.
In 2015, public elementary-secondary expenditures accounted for 34
percent of local government spending.
This comprehensive and ongoing time series collection of local
education agency finances, dating back to 1957, provides historical
continuity in the state and local government statistics community.
Education finance statistics provided by the Census Bureau allow for
analyses of how public elementary-secondary school systems receive and
spend funds and is vital for policy making. Increased focus on
education has led to a demand for data reflecting student performance,
graduation rates, and school finance policy--all of which are related
to the collection of this local education finance data. State
legislatures, local leaders, university researchers, and parents
increasingly rely on data to make substantive decisions about
education.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) uses data from the survey to
develop figures for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Elementary-
secondary education finance data items specifically contribute to the
estimates for National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA), Input-Output
accounts (I-O), and gross domestic investments. BEA also uses the data
to assess other public fiscal spending trends and events.
The NCES use these annual data as part of the Common Core of Data
(CCD) program. The education finance data collected by the Census
Bureau are the sole source of school district fiscal information for
the CCD as well as for the publication of annual reports on the fiscal
state of education.
Form (F-33) covers elementary-secondary education finance items. In
practice, this form serves more as a data processing guide rather than
as a data collection instrument because the Census Bureau relies
heavily on collecting this public school system finance data centrally
from state education agencies centrally via the internet using File
Transfer Protocol (FTP). Supplemental forms are sent to school systems
in states where the state education agency cannot provide information
on assets (F-33-L1), indebtedness (F-33-L2), or both (F-33-L3).
The Census Bureau makes available detailed files for all school
systems from its internet website, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/school-finances.html. That website currently contains data
files and statistical tables for the 1992 through 2015 fiscal year
surveys. Historical files and publications prior to 1992 are also
available upon request for data users engaged in longitudinal studies.
In addition to numerous academic researchers who use F-33 products,
staff receive inquiries from state government officials, legislatures,
public policy analysts, local school officials, non-profit
organizations, and various Federal agencies.
Affected Public: State, local or tribal government.
Frequency: Annually.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 8(b), 161, and 182
(Census authority); Title 20 U.S.C., Sections 9543-44 (NCES authority).
This information collection request may be viewed at
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce
collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to [email protected] or fax to (202)395-5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-09766 Filed 5-7-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P