Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) named the four board members who will lead the search for the district's next superintendent, as first reported by WBTV on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Board members Anna London, Cynthia Stone, Monty Witherspoon and Board Chair Dee Rankin will serve on the Superintendent Search Ad Hoc Committee. London will chair the panel.
The appointments are the first personnel step since the board voted 6-2 on Sept. 29 to approve the committee's charter, according to WCNC. That charter created an advisory body to oversee the hiring process for the full board. The committee can meet in closed session under state law and will dissolve once the board approves a superintendent contract, the Charlotte Observer reported.
For families at Ardrey Kell, Ballantyne Ridge and other Ballantyne-area schools, the committee's work will determine who leads a district of roughly 138,000 students through ongoing federal, state and local investigations into CMS finances.
Three of four members voted to keep Hill
The committee's makeup carries political weight. The board fired former Superintendent Crystal Hill in a 5-4 vote on Sept. 22, WBTV reported. Three of the four search committee members voted to keep Hill. Rankin is the only committee member who voted to terminate her.
The Sept. 29 charter vote itself was divided. Witherspoon and board member Charlitta Hatch voted against it. Witherspoon said at the time that the move sent the wrong signal so soon after Hill's firing, according to the Observer's Sept. 29 coverage.
"I know at some point we will have to get this done," Witherspoon said at the Sept. 29 meeting, according to the Observer. "But I want the community to come along, even at this step."
Balknight stays on during search
Acting Superintendent Melissa Balknight, who had planned to retire Jan. 1, 2027, agreed to remain in the role until a permanent superintendent is hired, according to a CMS news release published by WCCB. Her continued leadership gives the committee room to conduct the search without a hard deadline.
Rankin wrote that the board is committed to an inclusive and transparent process, with engagement sessions planned for students, families, staff and community members, WBTV reported. No date has been set for the committee's first meeting.
The district's 2023 superintendent search drew 49 applicants from 18 states, the Observer reported. Whether the current turmoil will narrow the next applicant pool remains an open question. The committee has not announced a timeline or whether it will hire an outside search firm.
