The Granite School District Board of Education meets for a full-day retreat Friday, Aug. 7, with Holladay students heading back to class the following Wednesday and a property tax hearing less than two weeks away.

The retreat agenda, posted Aug. 6, lists Board President Nicole McDermott, Vice President Kris Nguyen and Board Member Julie Jackson as presenters but does not disclose specific topics. The session begins at 8 a.m. Nguyen is listed multiple times as a presenter; McDermott appears twice.

Topics were not listed.

Jackson represents Precinct 1, which covers Holladay-area schools including Skyline High, Olympus High, Churchill Junior High and Wasatch Junior High.

Board's recent focus areas

The agenda's silence leaves the retreat's substance unclear, but the board's recent discussions offer clues. At the March 31 board meeting, Jackson called for a report on the effectiveness of past school closures by the end of the summer and proposed beginning a request for proposals for a district-wide consultant in the fall. Nguyen said at the same meeting that the district needs "better plans to consider the needs in the impacted communities" around enrollment and school closures.

Whether those topics made the retreat agenda is unknown. The district has not responded to questions about the presentations.

Tax hearing and board vacancy loom

The retreat falls in a compressed stretch for the 59,106-student district. Holladay students return Wednesday, Aug. 12. Six days later, on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 6 p.m., the board holds a Truth-in-Taxation public hearing on a proposed 11.2% property tax increase totaling approximately $21.7 million, as we reported Aug. 4.

The board is also filling a Holladay-area vacancy. Candidates must file by Thursday, Aug. 20, with public interviews set for Tuesday, Aug. 25, as we reported Aug. 5.

What Holladay families need to know

  • First day of school: Wednesday, Aug. 12
  • Tax hearing: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6 p.m. — residents can comment on the proposed increase
  • Board vacancy filing deadline: Thursday, Aug. 20