FAA re-evaluates funding for Elk Grove High School soundproofing
The Federal Aviation Administration is re-evaluating whether three suburban schools, including Elk Grove High School, should receive funding for soundproofing to buffer aircraft noise from O'Hare International Airport.
It's a reversal of the an earlier FAA decision denying the schools funding. The denial prompted area legislators, representatives of the O'Hare Noise Compatability Commission and school district officials to lobby top FAA officials in Washington last December.
Last week, Catherine Lang, the FAA acting associate administrator for airports, joined area legislators and school, airport and ONCC officials on a tour of all three schools -- Elk Grove High School, Carpenter School in Park Ridge and Ridgewood High School in Norridge.
"I think they were really hear to listen ... they really wanted to hear from the schools and how it was impacting them," said Brendan McLaughlin, ONCC executive director. "(But) at the end of the day, they rely on science and scientific models to measure the noise."
Lang indicated funding would be reinstated, if the schools met the minimum noise threshold the FAA established for school sound insulation eligibility.
The Chicago Department of Aviation will coordinate retesting this summer. If Elk Grove High School wins the funding, work on sound insulation could begin in summer 2011.
The FAA has funded 117 schools through the commission's school sound insulation program.
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 was expecting more than $10 million in federal grants to soundproof Elk Grove High School, but found out last June it was no longer eligible because the FAA expects the airport to produce less noise around EGHS in the future.
District 214 school board President William Dussling said if it weren't for the pressure brought by Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder, area legislators and the noise commission, it would have been hard to convince the FAA to give Elk Grove High a second look.
"We're grateful for their support through the process," Dussling said. "That's all we can hope for is to get another look from (the FAA). We hope the funding would come forth. It's definitely needed for noise suppression ... especially in an environment where students depend on concentration for learning."
Elk Grove High School was initially deemed eligible to compete for federal funding based on a 2000 study of noise levels.
"And then, all of a sudden we weren't on the list and that caused us great concern," Dussling said.
In a June 11 letter, the FAA cited a Chicago forecast that noise levels at all three schools would be considerably lower when the O'Hare expansion is completed by 2014.
District 214 had put off necessary repairs to Elk Grove High School's roof in anticipation of federal funding for soundproofing - they didn't want to have to tear it up twice - but finally patched the roof within the last year and a half.
"It was not really possible to hold off any longer," Dussling said. "We did the minimum that we could do to keep the building safe and to minimize whatever leakages there were, still anticipating that we would get some of the dollars for noise abatement."