CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education is one step closer to selecting a company to lead its search for a new superintendent.
On Wednesday, the school board’s superintendent search committee reviewed four finalists and plans to recommend one search firm.
"What separated it in the end for us are the references, where the amount of time the superintendents had been put in place," Summer Nunn, the CMS search committee chair, said.
For about a month, firms from across the country have had the opportunity to pitch CMS on how they would search for a new leader. CMS’ request for proposal form outlines what the district is looking for in a search firm.
Under consideration was the firm's experience conducting searches for school districts as large as CMS. They are also considering a search firm's history with diversity, equity, and inclusion.
School officials also reviewed itemized price tags provided by the firms for all costs associated with the search.
"The next steps will really be determining what additional input we need from the community, and how do they start," Nunn said. "They'll open up the application, but the hard work is going to come next with us in the community."
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools named Crystal Hill the new interim superintendent for the district in December.
Hugh Hattabaugh was brought on as interim superintendent after the previous superintendent, Earnest Winston, was fired in April and granted a $24,000-a-month severance. Hattabaugh, who had previously been CMS superintendent himself, was expected to stay until June 2023 as the school district conducted its search for a full-time replacement.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.