The voters have spoken regarding the recent proposal for the replacement of Federal Way High School.

In talking to some of the voters, I have concluded that they fall into at least three categories:

• Those who feel their taxes are already too high and don’t believe they can afford to pay additional funds toward education in Federal Way.

• Those who have objected to some of the policies of the district and wished to “punish” the district for this.

• Those who felt that the proposal was not well enough defined to warrant an arbitrary expenditure of $ 110 million for this, even if the actual taxes would have only raised $60 million.

There is no doubt in my mind that the school is beyond repair and that actions need to be taken. However, these actions need to reflect the realities of what currently goes on at this school as well as the economic realities of Puget Sound.

The current high school graduates are often not prepared to either enter the workforce or be successful in higher education. This prompted the question from a former school board director: “Are we simply warehousing these kids?” Sadly, I think in many cases this is true.

The statistics for the current high school are such that many people refuse to send their kids there, and many potential residents elect to purchase homes elsewhere. Some of us, me included, have made those kinds of decisions in the past.

The school district has a golden opportunity to change this and improve the real estate values of our community as well as improve the opportunities for those who attend the Federal Way Public Schools.

Here’s a suggestion. The solutions I have proposed require placing education at a higher priority than some have been willing to do.

The Boeing Company has announced that in addition to having a huge backlog of airplanes, they have a problem. They expect more than 20,000 retirements in the next 10 years.

Who will fill these living wage paying jobs and the employment demands for the sub-contractors and other well paying support jobs in Puget Sound? Few of the graduates, or attendees, at our high schools are ready to jump into this pool.

How could we change this?

The five members of the Federal Way School Board could do this. Notice I did not say the administration of the school district. The school board members, and a group of interested community members, both “pros and cons,” should embark on a mission.

The board and its teams need to personally establish relationships with the significant employers of Puget Sound. Let’s learn from them what skills and knowledge these employers are looking for in new hires — either directly from high school, or after graduation from institutions of higher learning.

Who should they be talking to?

Officials in the corner offices, and hiring offices, at the principal employers in Puget Sound such as Boeing, Paccar, Boeing Sub Contractors (i.e. Precision Machine Works), Microsoft and other informational technology firms, Washington Manufacturers Council, Washington Aerospace Alliance, medical research firms, hospital administration transportation firms, financial service firms and the labor council.

In addition to these employers, the school directors need to discuss the real academic requirements for entry into institutions of higher learning where there are admissions requirements, such as Whitman College, Willamette University, University of Washington and eastern competitive colleges such as Smith College. There are probably some that I have missed.

After they have an idea of the “demand” of these organizations for both direct entry and higher education graduates, it would be time to develop a vision for a learning center in Federal Way that will produce successful applicants for these wonderful openings.

What will this facility cost? That’s the point, we don’t know. We do, or should know, that replication of the existing Federal Way High School is not going to boost our city.

Let me be among the first to boost a school that would be addressing these problems, and I think that many in the community that voted against the recent proposal would join me.