"New York Port Authority Approves $44.5 Million to Muffle Schools' Jet Roar"

Wednesday, April 9, 2003

New York Port Authority Approves $44.5 Million to Muffle Schools' Jet Roar
Readin', writin' -- and earplugs?
The New York (NY) Daily News


A record $44.5 million will be spent this year to soundproof 20 schools --
including six in the Bronx, 11 in Queens and three on Long Island -- that
are near airport flight paths.

The funding was authorized by the Port Authority board of commissioners as
part of a 20-year joint program with the Federal Aviation Administration to
soundproof schools affected by aircraft noise.

In the Bronx, six schools will be soundproofed, including Samuel Gompers
Vocational High School, which will receive $5.5 million.

"When a plane takes off, my teachers have to stop teaching," said Gompers
Principal Mary Ann Hawthorne. "You can't hear because of the noise. Learning
stops."

Grady Hill, assistant principal of John Bowne High School, a Flushing school
in the flight path of LaGuardia Airport, described the noise as "a loud,
rumbling sound" that disturbs students.

Sometimes the jets "land right over the school," he added.

John Bowne will get $8 million to help create a quieter, less distracting
environment.

"Some students study better with music banging in their ears, but for most
of the students who hear that noise, it's got to be distracting," Hill said.

The schools -- plus 12 in New Jersey -- have been federally defined as being
in noise-affected areas and will receive acoustical windows and new
ventilation systems -- which, school administrators hope, will do the job as
well as earplugs.

"After a while you become oblivious to it ... and you teach around it," said
George Giberti, principal at Public School 180 in Rockaway Park.

Giberti said that although the Federal Aviation Administration has made an
effort to divert air traffic away from the Rockaways since 9/11 and the
American Airlines crash in Belle Harbor, he's fearful the recently altered
flight patterns could be changed again.

Although the Port Authority -- which operates Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark
Liberty airports -- hopes to become better neighbors with the communities
that surround its airports, about 90 percent of the funding comes from the
Federal Aviation Administration's airport improvement program.

The Port Authority has committed $226.2 million to date to soundproof 78
schools in New York and New Jersey since the program began in 1983.

"The federal government requires a report before and after, so if you don't
achieve your noise reduction goals, you don't get the funding," said Ralph
Tragale, manager of government and community relations for the Port
Authority.

Tragale hopes all the schools will be soundproofed by 2007.

The largest amount for any school this year -- $12.1 million -- will go to
Beach Channel High School in Rockaway Park.

"Anything that can be done to improve the physical plan of the school is
worth any amount of money," said Beach Channel Principal John Marcus.


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dc/dcboard.php

*****************************************