District
1
Charlitta Hatch
Board Member, District 1, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
- Party
- Nonpartisan
- Office phone
- 980-343-3000
In our reporting · 16 stories
CMS Math 1 Scores Jump; Middle School Reading Barely Moves
CMS students made their biggest Math 1 gain in four years. Middle school reading rose one point, and a board member asked how the district closes a nine-point gap in a year.
CMS Board: Five Asked to Resign, All Five Spoke
A parent read the CMS board a petition she said carries 1,179 signatures calling for five members to resign over the vote that fired Superintendent Crystal Hill. Later, in board reports, all five spoke. None announced a resignation.
CMS Board Starts the Search for a New Superintendent, 6-2
A week after firing Crystal Hill, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board voted 6-2 to create a four-member search committee. The two no votes said the board should examine its own governance first. No timeline has been set.
CMS Fires Crystal Hill 5-4; Report Found No Improper Conduct
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education fired Superintendent Crystal Hill 5-4 on Tuesday without stating a cause, then released its own report finding no improper conduct by her. Here is how each of the nine members voted and what they said.
CMS Board Won't Rubber-Stamp i-Ready, Cuts It to One Year
Charlotte-Mecklenburg's school board declined to renew i-Ready on the terms its staff requested, rejecting a multi-year, sole-source contract for a single year with conditions attached. The 7-2 vote followed sustained objections over screen time, student-data privacy, and the strength of the evidence. Staff must return in August with data, security provisions, and limits on how the vendor uses student data.
An 8th Grader Argued Against CMS's New Free Speech Policy
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted 7-2 to adopt Policy S-SFRS on student free speech. The most substantive speech about the policy came from a student who argued it would do the opposite of what it promised.
CMS Approves $5.5M IBM Oracle Extension, Eyes 2028 Payroll
The Board of Education approved a $5.5 million amendment to its Oracle enterprise software contract, extending the implementation and adding hypercare support as the district works toward a full system launch in 2028.
CMS Board Unanimously Approves Hill's Amended Budget
Two weeks after rejecting Superintendent Crystal Hill's $2.1 billion budget 8-1, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education unanimously approved her amended version on Tuesday. The same operating envelope now carries six negotiated changes, including the elimination of the $2.4 million Capturing Kids Hearts contract and the reinstatement of all four CMS-DSS educational liaison positions. The state budget remains the variable holding everything else still.
CMS's $6.6 Million Hedge May Not Cover a State Raise
CFO Kelly Kluttz told the board the district's $6.6 million salary reserve covers them to about 5 percent, but bills in Raleigh propose up to 9, the state hasn't passed a budget, and the county can't backfill after June.
CMS Final Program Choice Plan
The board took its Program Choice votes Aug. 11, and for nine programs at eight schools, 2026-27 is the last year.
CMS Board Denies Hill's $2.1B Budget 8-1, Wants a Redo
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education voted 8-1 Tuesday night to deny Superintendent Crystal Hill's $2.1 billion budget and gave her two weeks to come back with a revised version, without saying, in open session, what to change. After the vote, Hill asked four times for direction at the dais. Chair Stephanie Sneed declined and adjourned. The revised budget is due May 12.
State Funds 78% of CMS Positions; the County Fills the Gap
The state funds 78 percent of CMS positions. The county funds 2,707 more. Superintendent Crystal Hill showed the board what happens if either side flinches.
Joint Legislative Breakfast Seats CMS, County, City Together
CMS Board Chair Stephanie Sneed convened the BOCC, City Council, and CMS Board with the General Assembly delegation for the first joint legislative breakfast in at least 20 years.
CMS Family Engagement Policy Draft Exposes a Board Rules Gap
The Family and Community Engagement Ad Hoc Committee is drafting the district's first standalone family engagement policy, and discovered there are no written rules for how board members use district staff.
CMS Asks Mecklenburg County for $698.6 Million: What's In It
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is asking Mecklenburg County for $698.6 million to fund a $1.97 billion operating budget, including a fourth consecutive 5% teacher supplement increase, while North Carolina still has not passed a state budget for this year or next.
Mecklenburg Results: Transit Tax Passes, Democrats Sweep
Mecklenburg County voters approved a landmark transit tax, re‑elected Mayor Vi Lyles, and delivered a clean sweep for Democrats on the council and school board in Charlotte's 2025 municipal election.