The Granite School District Board of Education meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, for a study session. It is the board's first gathering since members adjourned Sept. 1 without naming a replacement for the District One seat covering Holladay-area schools including Olympus High.

The session, led by Board President Nicole McDermott, lists Patron Participation Time and a Consent Agenda, according to the district's posted agenda.

No specific discussion items have been published.

Two unresolved issues hang over the board. The first: who will fill the District One seat being vacated by Julie Jackson, who announced Aug. 4 that she is running for the Utah House of Representatives, is unopposed in the general election and will resign from the board effective Dec. 31.

The board interviewed 11 candidates on Aug. 25 and narrowed the field to four finalists: Elena Leppard, Marilyn Taft, Benjamin Ungricht and Janelle Williamson. Superintendent Ben Horsley told the board at that meeting there was "a natural break" in the scoring.

Second-round interviews were scheduled for Sept. 1. But the board adjourned that night without making an appointment. No public explanation has appeared in district records.

The second issue is the 10.26% property tax increase the board approved 6-1 on Aug. 18 at a Truth in Taxation hearing. The increase generates roughly $21.1 million in new revenue. Board member Kim Chandler cast the lone dissenting vote.

The district has said the increase follows roughly $15 million in reduced state support over three years, driven by changes to the Voted and Board Local Levy guarantee formula. Before proposing the tax hike, the district said it identified nearly $5 million in savings and has cut $7 million over the past two years, according to its budget FAQ.

The district said state legislation also played a role. HB2 in 2025 reduced Granite's funding for special education, gang prevention and teacher retention. HB84 in 2024 and HB40 in 2025 required new school safety improvements without fully funding them.

Board member Clarke Nelson raised concerns at the Aug. 25 meeting about the legal requirements governing how the board selects finalists for a vacancy, saying he hoped for changes to the process.