A new power struggle is unfolding inside Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools after months of investigations and leadership changes.
Board members Cynthia Stone, Lenora Shipp and Dr. Monty Witherspoon are seeking to remove Stephanie Sneed as board chair. Stone requested the issue be placed on the board’s Sept. 22 agenda.
The three board members said they no longer feel comfortable with the board’s current leadership. They cited information shared with members during recent months but did not publicly explain those concerns.
However, Sneed also has support on the nine-member board. WSOC reported that five members support Sneed, potentially leaving opponents without enough votes to remove her. Board member Liz Monterrey Duvall questioned why leadership should change shortly before the board’s regular December elections.
The dispute comes as CMS faces another major leadership shakeup. Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Kluttz plan to retire. Chief Human Resources Officer Angela Wood has also resigned.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill recently returned after spending nearly two months on paid leave. The board launched an investigation into administrative and operational issues before voting to reinstate her.
That investigation cost roughly $379,000, according to the Charlotte Observer. Board members have pledged to release its findings by the end of September.
Hill has said her attorneys told her investigators found no wrongdoing. However, the board has not yet released the report publicly.
The Sept. 22 discussion now puts the focus on Sneed, who remains listed by CMS as board chair.
If the motion moves forward, the meeting could reveal whether recent turmoil has created a deeper split among the nine members governing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
