Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education Chair Stephanie Sneed says the board plans to share an update on the investigation into Superintendent Crystal Hill before the new school year starts Aug. 25.
"We have been working diligently to complete our review," Sneed said in a statement to WFAE. "While there is still work to be done, we expect that process to conclude within the next few weeks. Because this is a personnel matter governed by North Carolina law, there are limits on what information the Board can share while the review is ongoing."
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education held a special meeting Wednesday afternoon, during which the board went into closed session to discuss personnel matters.
The meeting came five weeks after the board placed Superintendent Crystal Hill on paid leave pending an investigation into "matters involving administrative and operational oversight." There had been no updates on the status of the investigation prior to Sneed's statement Wednesday night. Teachers return to classrooms in CMS in less than a month, and it's unclear who will be leading the district by then.
"We appreciate the community's patience as we complete this process in a manner that is thorough, fair, and consistent with our legal and oversight obligations," Sneed added.
The board met in open session for about five minutes to approve several budgetary items, including the finalized 2026-27 CMS salary schedules and some budget adjustments.
While going into closed session, Board Chair Stephanie Sneed cited the need to prevent the disclosure of confidential personnel information and to consider specific personnel matters.
She also cited the need to consult with attorneys about matters covered by attorney client privilege, citing a complaint filed with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, though the nature of that complaint was not immediately clear.
The board announced the investigation into Hill on June 17, nearly a month after the date they contracted with Brooks Pierce, the law firm conducting the investigation.
Hill has since put out two statements in response to the investigation, claiming she was “saddened” by the development and “has not been told” what prompted it, but promising to cooperate.
