Every single teacher and staff member at a private Christian preschool and elementary school in Sandy resigned last month, ahead of the new academic year.

Dozens of parents have also pulled their kids out of Hilltop Christian School’s upcoming classes, several told The Salt Lake Tribune.

A group of 10 former staff and parents say their decisions follow a year of mounting tension with board members who they believe upended a once “magical” school. The group requested anonymity because they say they fear retaliation over where they try to work or enroll their kids next; their identities are known to The Tribune.

These tensions included the board introducing standardized tests, which weren’t previously routine at the private school, as well as a more controlled curriculum that limited classroom autonomy.

The shift came after decades of a more individualized approach to early education that parents and staff say they came to expect, including what one parent described as a “play-based” model.

“That’s not why our kids come here,” one longtime former teacher said. “We learned how kids learned their best, and we made it happen. … And then [the board] wanted to change it all."

The board has asserted changes to the school were necessary, citing “several significant challenges that required immediate attention,” according to a July 16 email its members sent to staff.

Those challenges included concerns over student performance and the school’s financial health, the email states, acknowledging that the board has taken a “much more active role over the past two years.”

In a statement to The Tribune, the board said, “While certain aspects have evolved over the past 40+ years, the mission and values remain the same.”

The board added that “a great majority of the summer has been spent interviewing and meeting with new staff, with a focus on ensuring alignment and agreement with the mission and values of Hilltop.”

‘Tricky to navigate’

Hilltop Christian School operates independently from Hilltop United Methodist Church, though it was originally formed as a mission of the church and currently leases space from it, said the Rev. Sarah Merchant.

She said several parents and staff have come to her for guidance with concerns about the school and its leadership.

“I want to encourage all the people to seek communication and connection with compassion, even in these difficult situations that can be tricky to navigate,” Merchant said.

Hilltop board members said the school’s new director met with Merchant last week.

“Both left encouraged looking forward to a continued partnership with Hilltop United Methodist Church,” they said. “The school is grateful for her compassion and communication.”

Hilltop serves around 100 kids and employs roughly 20-25 staff depending on the school year, according to recent tax filings. Roughly 20 staff members were working at the school when all decided to resign this summer.

The school’s board is made up of seven volunteers, along with the school’s director, staff emails provided to The Tribune indicate. Hilltop’s website states four board positions are currently open.

Any new members are appointed by the existing board, parents and former staff said, calling it an insular process where the broader school community doesn’t have a say.

Hilltop’s three current board members said open seats are communicated, and candidates are required to submit an application, but the decision is the board’s alone.

The group of parents and former staff say they started noticing cultural shifts at the start of the 2025-26 school year, when two new board members were appointed. Then, in March, the school’s then-director left, which they allege accelerated the changes.

By late July, the entire staff said they had had enough. Now, they are calling for the remaining board members to step down.

‘Nothing about this situation is normal’

Before that mass resignation, board members asserted in their July 16 email that the “heart of the school” — “faith-based, hands-on, play-based learning with small class sizes” — remained the same.

But the school needed to move forward with clearer academic goals, the board wrote, because data indicated students weren’t meeting expectations.

To achieve that, the board instructed teachers to create a “scope and sequence,” which is a curriculum plan that outlines what topics will be taught and when. The goal was to establish “consistency across classrooms,” the email stated.

Within a week, staff members had resigned.

Faced with calls to step down, board members emailed parents again on July 23: “The current board does not believe that resigning would be in the best interest of Hilltop Christian School.”

“We want to acknowledge that nothing about this situation is normal,” the board continued. “It has been sad and upsetting for us as well.”

Less than an hour later, staff and teachers pushed back, sending a joint email that again demanded the board resign to prevent “further damage.”

“We want to be clear: we do not want to leave this school,” the email read. “Many of us have dedicated years to building relationships with students and families.”

Hilltop’s new school year starts Monday, Aug. 24.