Editor’s note: This article has been updated with information provided to The Courier-Herald after print deadline.

Students will soon be back in the classroom, but Enumclaw School District residents might want to get ready to FOCUS, too.

During the Aug. 14 ESD board meeting, Superintendent Shaun Carey shared more details about a proposed Facilities Oversight for Capital Utilization and Sustainability (FOCUS) committee of locals to aid the district in long-term planning, “everything from demographic studies to what our facilities, how they’re evaluated at the end of the year, and also look at what our future needs might be and then develop some recommendations that would be brought before the board of directors,” he said.

The school board will vote on forming the committee during its September meeting.

Here’s a little history: after the February special election $253 million bond measure flopped, ESD sent out a bond feedback survey to district residents; one of those questions asked if people would serve on such a committee.

While more than 60% of the more than 1,400 respondents indicated they would not, Carey has moved forward with the idea anyway.

“We still do believe that it’s really important that our community be a part of helping us to determine what our needs are to move forward with regard to capitol projects and all things related to our schools,” he said at the recent meeting. “Our public schools belong to the public, and our public is ultimately for making sure children… have what they need to do well in schools.”

While it’s unclear if the FOCUS committee will have a roll in designing a new Byron Kibler Elementary/Birth to Five center if the district’s $103 million bond is approved by a supermajorty (60%) of voters in the upcoming November election, it seems likely the committee could have a hand in planning for future bonds, since the committee will be looking 20 years into the district’s future for what needs it might have.

For example, Black Diamond Elementary’s student population was projected to exceed its student capacity this year, but instead, the district has been bussing about 100 students from the Black Diamond area to Westwood Elementary to stay below capacity, according to district Director of Communications Jessica McCartney.

Despite this, the ESD board kept a new Black Diamond elementary off the upcoming bond measure, which could mean district residents might see another bond in the future as the city’s Ten Trails population continues to explode; according to the Association of Washington Cities, Black Diamond’s population increased the most (by nearly 12%) between 2022 and 2023 than any other city in the state.

The proposed FOCUS committee, if approved by the board, will have 20 members — some from the public, some from the district. Ten of those members will apply for the position (and be selected in part based on geographical service areas of the district to ensure balanced represntation), and the rest will be appointed by the school board; one appointed member will be a student.

The committee would meet once a month for a year, and would present district data, needs, and recommendations to the school board in November 2024. Committee members would then have an opportunity to continue on to the next year.

Applications are not yet available, but Carey noted that once the school board approves the formation of the FOCUS committee, applications would be due by November 2023.