CMS statement on Superintendent Crystal Hill’s future coming today, board member says
Superintendent Crystal Hill’s future with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is in doubt Wednesday as multiple news outlets report she is no longer leading the district.
CMS has not publicly announced any leadership change as of Wednesday afternoon, and district officials had not responded to requests for comment, though several sources tell the Observer they believe she’s no longer working as superintendent. Speculation about Hill’s status intensified in recent days after she was absent from graduation ceremonies and the district’s annual leadership conference.
School board member Liz Monterrey Duvall told the Observer the district will release a statement on the matter Wednesday evening after 5 p.m.
The school board has for months held closed sessions about personnel matters and to consult with an attorney, but they have not publicly voted to end Hill’s employment or on a separation agreement. That included a virtual meeting Monday where the school board went into closed session and ended the livestream without coming back into open session.
District personnel refused to let an Observer reporter enter the CMS administrative building Wednesday afternoon to ask about Hill’s employment.
Hill became superintendent in July 2023 after a stretch as the district’s interim superintendent and chief of staff. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Guilford County and was the first Black female superintendent in CMS history.
The board voted in December to extend Hill’s contract by a year, to end June 30, 2029. Hill received a 7% pay raise in that same contract extension, bringing her salary to $340,700. Though, she won’t actually receive the bump in pay until state lawmakers approve a raise for teacher as part of a budget, which still has not occurred.
Hill led the district through its successful campaign for a $2.5 billion bond, the largest in North Carolina history. She earned praise for rising test scores and successfully lobbying county commissioners to fully fund her budget requests across multiple fiscal years.
But there were signs of issues in recent months.
The school board initially rejected Hill’s proposed budget for the new fiscal year that begins July 1, setting off a series of at times tense meetings. Hill came back with a revised budget that included more money set aside for teacher raises and a new social and emotional learning program, and it passed unanimously.
Greg Asciutto, executive director of CharlotteEAST, said he was not surprised by news of Hill’s departure, pointing to years of leadership turnover at both the district and school levels. He said stability is one of the strongest predictors of student success, and frequent changes at the top have made it difficult for schools to build momentum.
“Not knowing what led to the circumstances around this departure specifically, it is incredibly concerning,” Asciutto said. “It’s the exact same story that we do every two years, every three years. Who’s going to take over? What does stability look like? What does new leadership look like?”
Asciutto, a former CMS teacher and parent of two, said the conversation should focus on what comes next.
“As a lifelong public education advocate and product, the proof is in the recent history, and the recent history has not been good for stability at the school level or stability at the district level,” Asciutto said. “Right now, the onus on getting that correct is on board leadership.”
Observer reporter Rebecca Noel and metro intern Zaire Breedlove contributed.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 1:46 PM.
