Officials Head To DC To Protest Reevaluation Of Eligibility

Representatives in Chicago's School District 214 are protesting the removal of Elk Grove High School from a list of locations eligible for noise abatement insulation. The school claims it delayed roof renovations on the school to coincide with expected soundproofing construction. The FAA says there was never a guarantee of funding and new studies show the school is no longer eligible to apply.

The school received letters in 2004 and 2005 stating their noise levels were high enough in a 2000 study to place them under consideration for funding. After five years of waiting and planning, the school district was surprised by a letter in June of this year stating it was no longer eligible based on a revised noise study.  

The FAA retested the area after 9L/27R opened in late 2008. Future expansion plans at ORD were also considered when making the decision to remove Elk Grove and several other schools in the Chicago area from the list. FAA Spokesperson Tony Molinaro was quoted in Chicago’s Daily Herald explaining “When we looked at it, by the time this thing is completed in four or five years, they will no longer have the higher noise levels."

Associate Superintendent for Finance and Operations Debra Parenti countered "Our students, all of these years, have had all of the noise from these planes under the old contour and will continue to have it until the project is completed."

FMI: www.FAA.gov