City Government
What About the F-35 Noise And Schools?
April 26, 2017 
A reader sent the following question to the GUARDIAN today and Boise School District Super Dr. Don Coberly had a response within minutes.
Reader question:
Q–as a resident of the Vista Neighborhood I truly appreciate the dedication your publication has in providing all of the important information in Boise’s bid to get F35s. I’m wondering if the Guardian has pressed the Boise School Board on this issue?
My son attends Owyhee elementary and it is right across the freeway from the airport, furthermore you have Hillcrest elementary, and many many other schools that are near the airport and will be exposed to the noise and air pollution. Furthermore, the BSD main office is extremely close to the airport. I’m just wondering what the School Board, or Dr. Coberly have to say about the F35s. It sure seems like they should have a HUGE say in this issue! I’m just wondering if you know what their stance is, and if anyone has reached out to them to get involved?
District Response:
A–While we are aware of the potential impact of the F-35 mission on the community, the Boise School District is committed to gathering all the facts. With the upcoming Environmental Impact Study that will be released later this year, the District will be able to provide feedback appropriately to the U.S. Air Force.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Apr 26, 2017, 9:38 pm
This is what you get when your tax money that goes to the Boise School district pays for a full time professional media PR hack employee (actually more than 2 or 3) to create PC responses.
Apr 27, 2017, 8:06 am
Said another way, let’s get the jets and work out the issues later. Folks,,,We know how loud they are. A-10’s 24000 lbs of thrust. F-35’s 40000 lbs of thrust. Simple math.
EDITOR NOTE–There may even be a multiplayer in that simple math. Anyone with knowledge and FACTS please help out on the noise issue. Everything we have seen claims the F-35 is much more than twice as noisy as the A-10.
Apr 27, 2017, 8:13 am
Spoken like a true politician. Don’t take a stand, don’t step on any toes, hopefully the issue will go away and everyone will forget by next election.
Dave, try again and demand each of the elected trustees take a stand. Yea or nay.
Heck they even have a website where they could put it writing. But alas, there’s only short bios that amount to style over substance.
Link:
http://www.boiseschools.org/our_district/board_of_trustees/trustees_and_superintendency/
While we’re at it. BSD recently change their website and it’s, well, style over substance. It’s horrible. Who approves this stuff. I call the new look the Pinterest look with giant pictures and difficult navigation.
Dave, can you FOIA to determine how much they spent on redesigning the website?
Meanwhile, the school’s fence along Whitewater Parkway adjacent Whittier Elem. is all full of weeds and leaves. Still no sidewalk on Jefferson for 200′ adjacent Whittier.
EDITOR NOTE–We did suggest a broader response to include Board members. This is what we got. We welcome anything you are able to get through your contact and request of BSD.
Apr 27, 2017, 9:01 am
There are some noise comparison’s on youtube.
This one is pretty good, read the description for how it was measured.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnm1d3iG1x4
Others seem more subjective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bbFRh3afLA
Has anyone done a property value study? In AZ, it was estimated to avg 17% decline. This could be a huge hit to local taxing districts.
https://www.youtube.com/user/TucsonWeeklyTV/videos?sort=p&view=0&flow=grid
Apr 27, 2017, 9:46 am
Interesting that you got someone from the school district to go on the record at all. They are masters of leaving no fingerprints.
Apr 27, 2017, 10:43 am
I have not seen a direct noise comparison from the A-10 to the F-35. All of the comparisons are from f-16,f-15 to the f-35. Here is a great noise study from Elgin airforce base..
http://www.valp.org/govt/media/webb-pp-pres.ppt you will need to donwload and open….
The issue of noise is going to be very real and completely disregarded by proponents. In some research that helped explain why it is so loud, is comparing the thrust. The f-35 at imtermediate throttle has the same rating as the f-16 at full afterburner. What this means is that the f-35 is probably as loud taxiing around the runway, as the f-16 is at take off. This is what I experienced in Las Vegas. Each time there are “transient” f-16 and f-15 at the airport, people notice and comment. You won’t be able to ignore the f-35.
Apr 27, 2017, 11:08 am
Clancy, Thanks for the links.
Yep F-35 is louder.
for a few seconds a day, a several times a day,,, whenever. I can handle that.
What I can’t handle is the INCREASED ambulance (and police) sirens coming down my street.
I had no idea the hospital would actually expand and increase ‘their business’ when I bought a house near the hospital.
See ?
Apr 27, 2017, 11:47 am
TONIGHT AT THE PRESENTATION AT THE VISTA ASSOCIATION’S PUBLIC MEETING AT WHITNEY SCHOOL ON OWYHEE STREET. 🙂 HOPE HE WANTS THESE REAL FACTS. ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.