The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education voted Tuesday, Aug. 25, to release a summary of its investigation into Superintendent Crystal Hill, giving families across the district their first concrete promise of transparency since Hill was placed on paid leave in June.

Six board members voted in favor. Three abstained. No one voted against.

The report, which the district's lawyer will compile, is expected by the end of September. It will cover the investigation process, key lessons learned and recommended improvements to governance, policy and oversight. Legally protected personnel information will be withheld.

District 1 board member Charlitta Hatch introduced the motion. "Confidentiality does not have to mean silence," Hatch told colleagues at the meeting. "There is a space between releasing everything and saying nothing, and North Carolina law actually provides a process for navigating that space. …"

Voting yes were Hatch, Shamaiye Haynes, Cynthia Stone, Liz Monterrey Duvall, Anna London and Vice Chair Dee Rankin. Board Chair Stephanie Sneed, Monty Witherspoon and Lenora Shipp abstained.

Sneed said she "entered into a space of neutrality" as chair, noting she had "been the face of this" throughout the summer. Witherspoon abstained, saying the board should have already made a public statement. He called remaining at the meeting a "performative action," according to WCCB.

What prompted the investigation

The board placed Hill on paid leave June 17 and hired law firm Brooks Pierce at $275 per hour to investigate "matters involving administrative and operational oversight." Hill was reinstated Aug. 11. The total cost of the probe has not been disclosed; the Charlotte Observer reported that a records request filed Aug. 11 remained unanswered as of Tuesday's meeting. The final cost is expected to appear in the September report.

The Observer has previously reported the investigation may have concerned contracts with Hill's former colleagues totaling more than $1.7 million over three years. CMS has not confirmed that.

Hill's reaction

Hill sat without visible reaction during the board's discussion. When asked how she was feeling as she left the meeting, she said "fine," according to WBTV.

At a back-to-school briefing on Aug. 18, Hill told reporters, "There will be an opportunity for more information to be shared, sooner rather than later," as reported by QC News. The board's vote followed that signal.

What it means locally

Students at Ardrey Kell High School and other CMS schools serving Ballantyne returned to class on Tuesday, the same day the board met. Under North Carolina law, most employee personnel records are not public, so the board's explicit vote was required to authorize any release.

CMS parent Stacy Staggs, whose twin daughters are entering eighth grade, told Spectrum News 1 on the first day of school: "In the absence of information, people are guessing and that is worrisome."

The report is due by the end of September. No specific release date has been announced.