By Lisa Pemberton-Butler
Seattle Times staff reporter
DES MOINES – School and government officials signed a $200 million deal today to reduce deafening jet noise heard in 15 schools located under the flight path of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The historic agreement — reached by the Highline School District, the Port of Seattle, the Federal Aviation Administration and the state — will insulate and repair schools, improve air quality, bring older buildings up to code and provide funding to replace some schools over the next 10 years.
“This is truly a landmark event for the Highline School District, its students, parents and community,” Highline schools Superintendent Joe McGeehan said at a signing ceremony in Mount Rainier High School’s gymnasium.
Officials said the state and federal funding still needs to be secured, and is contingent on the passage of Highline’s $189.5 million school construction bond, scheduled to go before voters on Sept. 18.
Under the agreement, the Port and the district will each commit $50 million to repair or replace schools. The FAA has granted the district $50 million for direct insulation work, and Gov. Gary Locke has pledged to ask the legislature to provide $50 million of sales tax revenue generated by construction projects at the airport.
Planning and design work will probably begin immediately, and if the bond measure is approved later this year, repairs could begin in January, McGeehan said.