The Charlotte Mecklenburg School System Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill was fired on Tuesday night by the school board, the school board chair resigned afterwards. It was like a “if she leaves, then I leave mentality”
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education fired Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill on September 23, 2026 in Charlotte, NC after Dr. Hill did a tell all interview with a radio station. The school board voted 5-4 to terminate the superintendent. But this was all after the school board launched an investigation on Dr. Hill in June 2026 and then cleared her of any wrong doing. Now all of a sudden the school board terminates her. The last several superintendents in Charlotte were also fired.
Dr. Hill got the superintendent job in July 2023. The CMS school board suspended Dr. Hill in June 2026 over personnel decisions, budget handling, and employee complaints. Follow Charlotte Alerts on Instagram.
However, the school board lifted the suspension in September 2026 citing there was no evidence of wrong doing on Dr. Hill’s part.
In September 2026 Dr. Hill went on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks radio program to give her account of why she was suspended and the state of the school board.
Also in September 2026 Dr. Hill raised concerns over conflicts on interest regarding payments to a consultant from CMS filtered by a law firm.
Even after no wrong doing was found by Dr. Hill the school board voted 5-4 to terminate Dr. Hill on September 22, 2026. A school board member raised concerns that Dr. Hill spoke with the media after her suspension.
In a separate leadership change, Stephanie Sneed resigned as chair of the Board of Education on September 22nd minutes after Dr. Hill was fired. Stephanie will continue to serve as a member of the school board. Vice Chair Gregory Rankin will assume the role of board chair, and Elizabeth Monterrey-Duvall has been elected as vice chair.
Dr. Hill was terminated for convenience, per her contract she will still get a full year’s salary of $341,000 in severance pay. Since 2011 there have been 7 CMS superintendents including Hugh Hattabaugh, Earnest Winston, Clayton Wilcox, Ann Clark, Heath Morrison, and Peter Gorman.
