Every teacher and staff member at Hilltop Christian School in Sandy — about 20 people — resigned in July, leaving roughly 100 students and their families scrambling less than a week before the school year begins Monday, Aug. 24.

Dozens of parents have also pulled their children from the NAEYC-accredited preschool and elementary school at 985 E. 10600 South, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The departures follow what 10 former staff and parents described as a year of escalating conflict with the school's volunteer board over a curriculum overhaul that replaced Hilltop's decades-old play-based learning model with standardized testing and a structured curriculum plan.

The board, now down to three members with four seats vacant, has refused to step down and says it spent the summer recruiting replacements.

What happened

Former staff and parents told the Tribune that cultural shifts began at the start of the 2025-26 school year, when two new board members were appointed. The school's director left in March 2026, which they say accelerated the changes.

On July 16, the board emailed staff citing "several significant challenges that required immediate attention," including concerns about student performance and the school's financial health. The email acknowledged the board had taken a "much more active role over the past two years" and instructed teachers to create a "scope and sequence," a curriculum plan establishing consistency across classrooms.

Within a week, every staff member had resigned.

"That's not why our kids come here," one longtime former teacher told the Tribune, speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation. "We learned how kids learned their best, and we made it happen. … And then [the board] wanted to change it all."

The board's response

On July 23, board members emailed parents refusing to resign, writing that the decision "would not be in the best interest of Hilltop Christian School." Less than an hour later, staff sent a joint email demanding the board step down to prevent "further damage."

The board told the Tribune it has spent most of the summer interviewing new staff "with a focus on ensuring alignment and agreement with the mission and values of Hilltop." It did not confirm how many teachers have been hired ahead of Monday's start date.

The school, founded in 1984 as a mission of Hilltop United Methodist Church, operates independently but leases space from the church. The Rev. Sarah Merchant said several parents and staff have come to her for guidance. The board said Hilltop's new director met with Merchant the week before Aug. 18, and that "both left encouraged looking forward to a continued partnership."

What families need to know

New board members are appointed by existing members; the broader school community has no vote. The school's website lists four of seven board positions as open.

No parent information session or enrollment deadline has been publicly announced ahead of Monday's start. Families seeking clarity can reach the school at 985 E. 10600 South, Sandy, UT 84094, or through hilltopchristianschool.org.