‘Paying close attention.’ Mecklenburg leaders react after CMS board fires Hill
Mecklenburg County leaders say they’re paying close attention to the ongoing upheaval within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and want to meet with district leadership.
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The CMS board voted narrowly Tuesday night to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill, who was suspended over the summer during an investigation but reinstated in August. CMS board Chair Stephanie Sneed resigned from her leadership position ahead of the same meeting.
Mecklenburg County funds a significant portion of the district’s annual budget. And days earlier, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather announced he’d asked the State Bureau of Investigation to launch a formal criminal investigation into the district’s finances after previously asking the SBI to “conduct an informal inquiry into reports of alleged financial irregularities within transactions involving Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.”
In a statement addressed to residents Wednesday, Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell said commissioners “are paying close attention to the challenges facing our community and the impact on those served.”
“We will share insights or perspectives when appropriate, but I want you to know that we are unwavering in our commitment to our community and our work in service to residents continues as always,” he said.
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Jerrell told The Charlotte Observer he plans to convene a meeting between county and district leadership.
In a separate statement, county board Vice Chair Leigh Altman told the Observer she was “extremely concerned by recent events” and that she appreciated Merriweather’s referral to the SBI “for a formal determination of facts and search for evidence.”
“The public’s interest is paramount and must be safeguarded,” she said.
Mecklenburg County’s most recent budget included about $730 million for CMS, including $691 million for operating expenses, $6 million for student devices and $33 million for capital expenses. The district’s total budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 is about $2.1 billion.
The district typically presents its annual budget request to the county in May ahead of commissioners’ vote on the full county budget in June.
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