Millcreek homeowners will see their school property taxes rise 10.26% after the Granite School District Board of Education voted 6-1 on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to approve the increase. The hike is expected to generate $21.1 million in new annual revenue for the district that serves Skyline High School and area elementary and middle schools.

The increase still requires Utah Tax Commission certification before taking effect.

Business Administrator Todd Hauber delivered the Truth in Taxation presentation at the 6 p.m. hearing, formally stating that the proposed rate exceeds the certified tax rate under Utah law. Board President Nicole McDermott presided at the Granite Education Center in South Salt Lake.

Why the district says it needs the money

Before proposing the increase, the district conducted a 5% budget-reduction exercise that identified nearly $5 million in savings. In total, $7 million has been cut over the past two years.

Three legislative changes drove the remaining shortfall. HB2, passed in 2025, cut state funding for Granite's special education, gang prevention and teacher retention programs. HB84 (2024) and HB40 (2025) imposed new school safety requirements without providing money to pay for them. And changes to the state's Voted and Board Local Levy guarantee formula reduced anticipated state support to Granite by roughly $15 million over three years, according to the district's budget FAQ.

Superintendent Ben Horsley told Fox 13 that budgets tied to state funding mechanisms "have been altered and changed over the last few years, which have had a negative and nuanced and a very unique impact on Granite School District."

Where the $21.1 million would go

According to the district's hearing agenda, planned spending includes $4.5 million for instructional coaches, $4.5 million for school rebuilds, $4 million for K-2 class-size reduction, $1.6 million for school safety guardians and $1.4 million for elementary teacher prep time.

A second attempt

The tax hike is largely a re-attempt of a 2025-26 proposal that the Utah State Tax Commission denied after the district printed its tax hearing agenda and regular board meeting agenda on a single sheet of paper, violating state law. A court upheld that denial. Last year's proposal sought $17 million; the new figure is higher, as we reported Aug. 12.

At the June 16 budget hearing, Hauber warned the board that without the increase, "We will be 21 million dollars short of balancing the budget and we would have to go to budget reductions, immediately." The board voted unanimously that night to authorize the Aug. 18 hearing, though member Kim Chandler dissented on the interim budget.

Not everyone supports the increase. Resident Lance Walker, who spoke at the hearing, told Fox 13 he opposes the tax on principle: "I'm retired. I'm on a fixed income. I shouldn't have to keep paying school taxes forever and ever and ever."

The vote passed 6-1. The identity of the lone dissenter at the Aug. 18 hearing has not been confirmed in available records.

The Utah Tax Commission must certify the rate before it takes effect. The district's final 2026-27 Annual Budget Report is expected to be published following the hearing.