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Melissa Balknight will remain acting superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools until the district hires a replacement for former Superintendent Crystal Hill, CMS announced Thursday.
Balknight, who was deputy superintendent, had planned to retire Jan. 1. The school board appointed her acting superintendent last month after it fired Hill.
“Dr. Balknight is a leader who can keep Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on track to continue year-over-year growth in student achievement,” said CMS Board Chair Dee Rankin. “Her experience and historical knowledge will be invaluable in maintaining stability as the board searches for its next permanent superintendent. The board is grateful for her willingness to stay on to lead the district.”
The CMS board began its search for a new superintendent on Sept. 29.
Balknight’s retirement announcement had come amid a wave of high-profile staff departures. Board members investigated Hill for two months over the summer, then reinstated her in August. In the weeks that followed, more than half of the district’s top leaders left or announced plans to leave. The board fired Hill on Sept. 22.
