SEATTLE

The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board got an earful when it traveled the state asking citizens to tell them what needs to be fixed about the way Washington educates people after high school.

Ann Daley, executive director of the board, said people at six public forums were passionately opinionated on a wide range of topics from college being too expensive, to a disconnect between available jobs and the enrollment slots for learning the skills to do these jobs.

She says that explains why the board's draft 10-year strategic plan for Washington higher education is so broad and ambitious. The draft plan was released Wednesday before discussion at Thursday's board meeting. The plan is due to the Legislature and the governor by mid-December.

The board's previous strategic plans focused more on expected demand for college placement and the money to pay for higher enrollment. This plan takes a more philosophical approach, because the Legislature asked for a 10-year plan instead of the usual two-to four-year look ahead. But it does include some of the same demographic projections.

The report predicts that by 2020, Washington will need 296,000 slots at state universities and colleges, an increase of 61,500 full-time equivalent student slots. That translates into adding slightly more than 2 percent capacity per year.

By 2030, nearly 40 percent of the K-12 population will be minority students and most will come from low-income families. Daley said this change in demographics should be seen as an opportunity for a more diverse college student population in the future.

"We need to be thoughtful and effective in how we build aspirations and provide education programs for these groups of people," she said.

She said the report can be broken down to two main themes: the state needs to provide more post-high school education opportunities and it needs to make sure higher education intersects with the economic needs of Washington.