Principal of Ardrey Kell High School suspended with pay

CHARLOTTE, NC – WCCB Charlotte has confirmed that the principal of Ardrey Kell High School has been suspended with pay, but the reason has not been released.

According to documents obtained by WCCB through a public records request, the district suspended Jamie Brooks on 5/2/2025.

CMS says because this is a personnel matter, it cannot provide any details, but did share the message sent to Ardrey Kell families:

Good afternoon Ardrey Kell families.
At Ardrey Kell we remain focused and committed to our shared goals and students. We have strong systems and dedicated people in place to ensure continuity and support for our staff, students, and families.

With that in mind, we want to share that Principal Jamie Brooks is away for a period. During this time, assistant principal Tomica Wright is the lead school administrator, with assistance from our performance area executive director Crystal Houser.  They will ensure that everything continues to run smoothly for teaching, learning and campus business.

We understand that this change may cause some concerns, but rest assured that this will not affect the daily operations of the school. The Performance Area Superintendent, Cristi Bostic will offer support to reduce any impact to the learning environment and work with staff.

Brooks has worked at Ardrey Kell since 2020. Documents show she received a four year principal contract at the school in 2022.

She has worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools since 1994, when the district hired her as a Language Arts teacher at Carmel Middle School.

Ardrey Kell’s previous principal, David Switzer was reassigned in 2020 after accusations tied to racism.