Ballantyne families face another CMS superintendent search as the Board of Education meets Tuesday to formally begin the process of finding a permanent leader.

The board scheduled a special virtual meeting for 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, with one action item: approval of the charter for the Superintendent Search Ad Hoc Committee, WCNC reported. The charter would establish the framework for the committee as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools begins its search.

The meeting comes one week after the board voted 5-4 on Sept. 22 to fire Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill "for convenience." Board members Stephanie Sneed, Dee Rankin, Charlitta Hatch, Shamaiye Haynes and Liz Monterrey-Duvall voted in favor. Hill will receive one year of severance under her contract.

An independent review by law firm Brooks Pierce, which cost at least $379,000, found no evidence of improper conduct by Hill, no conflicts of interest and no improper contracting activity, according to Queen City News. The board had voted Aug. 11 to reinstate Hill after that investigation. Six weeks later, it fired her.

Three board members who opposed the firing said they were blindsided. Board member Monty Witherspoon, Cynthia Stone and Lenora Shipp said they did not learn Hill faced termination until closed session hours before the vote, according to The Charlotte Observer. Witherspoon told the Observer on Sept. 24 that "CMS doesn't have a superintendent problem. We have a governance issue."

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Melissa Balknight is serving as acting superintendent but is scheduled to retire Jan. 1, 2027. The board is also searching for an interim leader to bridge the gap.

CMS has had six superintendents in 15 years. Parent Heather Dinolfo told WFAE on Aug. 25, before Hill's firing, that "the superintendent changing so often is a huge concern for a lot of parents."

The Sept. 22 meeting also reshuffled board leadership. Former chair Sneed stepped down from the leadership post but remains on the board. Rankin was elected chair and Monterrey-Duvall vice chair. Monterrey-Duvall initially considered stepping down from the vice chair role, citing security concerns and reported death threats, but announced Sept. 25 she would stay until December, according to WBTV.

The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office has separately asked the State Auditor's Office to conduct a fact-finding review into alleged financial irregularities within CMS. That review was ongoing as of the Sept. 22 board meeting.

After Tuesday's open session vote on the search committee charter, the board is scheduled to enter closed session to discuss personnel matters under North Carolina law. No timeline for hiring a permanent superintendent has been announced.