HOLLADAY — While its east-side neighbors have pushed through votes on a small school district, Holladay is postponing its own for two more weeks.

After a public hearing with mixed reactions from residents, the City Council Thursday voted 5-1 to wait until Aug. 2 to make its final decision — weeks after the other government bodies involved in their new district will vote.

Holladay has been studying a new north east-side district with South Salt Lake and Salt Lake County (representing the unincorporated areas like Millcreek). The east-bench city was slated to decide Thursday whether residents can vote on the new district come November.

Councilman Steve Peterson was the dissenting vote. He requested the district vote be put on the agenda that night and did not want to see it get pushed back.

Results of a final feasibility study regarding the split were presented by councilman Lynn Pace, who chairs a small school district committee working on the various splits. There is also a movement south to split Jordan School District.

A new district would be feasible in the first years if the budget is "trimmed" by one percent, he said. Buildings can be replaced or refurbished on a pay-as-you-go level.

Compare that with the remaining Granite district — by 2020, the population will explode from 49,000 students to 69,000 and will need to build 21 new schools. That also puts property taxes for the remaining west side at $48 per $100,000 assessed value — high, but not as alarming as the preliminary April study painted them to be.

"The division of the district is feasible on both halves. But it will cost more in the west side of the district to divide," Pace said. "It can be done, but it will cost more."

However, Councilman Hugh Diederich said he did not "have that same credibility with this report."

During a public hearing, residents sounded off on the split with mixed reactions.

"We feel it's important that you are aware of the enormous potential impact of this vote," said Stan Hanks, who represented 20 other east-side school staff and school activities. "You're basing your decision off a feasibility study that contains known errors."

Resident Rebecca Wassem, a retired University of Utah professor, said students need a good start in school to succeed in higher education.

"The reason neighborhood schools are better is there's more potential involvement," she said. "We're willing to pay the higher taxes. If the west side felt that way, maybe they'd be on board."

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon attended the meeting and said he's anxious to see where a House Speaker Greg Curtis-sponsored bill will go. That bill by the Sandy Republican would equalize school construction on a countywide level, so all school building and renovation funds would go into one pot and then be allocated as needed.