About 140 new teachers, counselors and related-service professionals walked into Farmington High School on Tuesday, Aug. 11, for a two-day orientation that connects them with the district's support network before Davis School District's 74,000-plus students return on Aug. 20.

The cohort represents new hires across the district's 97 schools. The district has not published a breakdown showing which campuses will receive the new educators.

The orientation opened with a jolt: the Viewmont High School Drumline greeted new hires before they filed into the auditorium for remarks from Superintendent Dr. Dan Linford and Board President Brigit Gerrard. Both emphasized building connections, according to the district's account of the event.

Linford, named 2026 Utah Superintendent of the Year on Aug. 3, served as principal at Viewmont High from 2011 to 2016 before becoming superintendent in July 2022. At the Aug. 3 ceremony at Syracuse High School, he told colleagues he views leadership as collective, saying he is fortunate to work alongside people he considers the best in public education.

The two-day program, coordinated by the Teaching & Learning Department led by director TJ Strain, paired new educators with veteran teachers in subject- and grade-level breakout sessions. Content supervisors led additional professional learning blocks.

A centerpiece was the "Discover Davis Hallway," where 18 district departments set up informational tables covering everything from student services to professional support resources. The format gave new hires a single-stop introduction to the offices they'll navigate all year.

The district framed the orientation as part of a broader retention strategy, saying it reflects a commitment to giving educators the preparation, resources and support they need before students arrive.

For south Davis County families in Bountiful, Woods Cross, North Salt Lake and Farmington, the staffing pipeline matters. The district has not released retention data specific to individual campuses, and no public information shows whether higher-need schools like Woods Cross High or North Salt Lake elementaries received a proportional share of the 140 new hires. A GRAMA request to the district could produce that breakdown.

Davis School District's first day of school is Aug. 20. Elementary students will have an early-out day.