CMS board votes to fire Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill has been fired from the district for convenience.
The board added an agenda item to discuss Dr. Hill’s resignation just minutes before the meeting. A board attorney escorted her out before the board meeting Tuesday. Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight took her seat at the dais.
“This board has spiraled into complete chaos,” Monty Witherspoon Board Member at large said. “This board is dysfunctional.”
In a five-four vote the board voted to terminate Dr. Hill’s contract for convenience not cause. She has been serving in the role since January of 2023.
“We’ve got non-compliance grievances. We’ve got SBI, and we’ve got an audit coming from our state auditor,” Board Member Cynthia Stone from district 5 said. “Just seems to me the wrong time to change horses, just seems to me that what we are doing is creating our own problems.”
The board suspended Dr. Hill with pay back in June for what they said were administrative and operational concerns. After hiring a firm to interview dozens of employees and review more than a million documents the board voted to bring Dr. Hill back in August. The investigation has cost the district more than $379,000 so far. Reports show that amount is 0.002% of the district’s 2.1 billion dollar budget. Board members say it was not funded using state funding or classroom resources.
The Superintendent sent a 200 page report to the Board outlining concerns about conflict of interest and contracts. Dr. Hill and some Board members clashed publicly during the budget process earlier this year.
“I can’t speak for her or her employment record, but we’re just assuming that this person didn’t want it as well,” Board Member Liz Monterrey Duvall said.”So, I just want to put it out there that there’s both sides, and we can’t say a lot as employers.”
Dr. Hill was named 2027 Southwest Education Alliance Superintendent of the Year. Under her leadership, many schools raised their performance scores.
“It can set us back from the work that we have started moving forward with improvements to achieve,”at large Board Member Lenora Shipp said. “I’m very concerned.”
WCCB reached out to Dr. Hill and her attorney for comment on her termination but we haven’t heard back.
Chair Dee Rankin, Vice-Chair Liz Monterrey Duvall, Stephanie Sneed, Shamaiye Haynes, and Charlitta Hatch all voted in favor of terminating the superintendent.
Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight was appointed as interim superintendent. Earlier this month, Balknight submitted her resignation letter for January 1st, 2027.
The district sent a statement about the leadership change writing in part, “We recognize that the events of recent months have created uncertainty for our employees, students, and families. Our priority now is to provide stability for the district, support our employees, and ensure that our schools remain focused on the education and well-being of every student.”
