MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools interim superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh will step down in December, WCNC Charlotte's Shamarria Morrison confirmed Wednesday.
Hattabaugh was initially supposed to stay until June but will leave his contract early. He was supposed to serve his as interim to allow the school board time to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.
“As I stated when I took the job, it's a full-time job," Hattabaugh said at Wednesday night's school board meeting. "It's not something you can do part-time."
Speaking at a meeting Wednesday, Hattabaugh said his father, older in age, needs him as a caretaker.
“I have a father, 98, and refuses to go to a nursing home," Hattabaugh said. "He's one of the World War II vets."
Hattabaugh was brought on as interim superintendent after the previous superintendent, Earnest Winston, was fired in April 2022 and granted a $24,000-a-month severance.
“After much discussion, I had earlier made a decision that I might resign; I held off, but at this juncture, I will be leaving the district affected Dec. 31," Hattabaugh said.
Hattabaugh was also with CMS from October 2008 through June 2011 in the role of COO before replacing superintendent Peter Gorman who resigned; he served as interim superintendent in that instance until 2012.
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The CMS Board of Education is currently conducting a community engagement campaign to learn what people involved in the school district think is most important in a superintendent candidate. That campaign runs through Dec. 13.
The news comes at the time CMS, with five new board members, will start interviewing new candidates for superintendent.
"We need to update our incoming board members and discuss next steps," Elyse Dashew, CMS Board Chair, said. "And so, you know, expect a statement from the board soon. We're not going to discuss this anymore tonight."
It's not yet clear who will take over as interim superintendent, or when they will be announced, once Hattabaugh leaves the district.
"I think the board wants to be mindful that there are five new members that just got elected last night, they get sworn in on Dec. 13," Charles Jeter, the CMS Government Affairs, Policy, and Board Services executive director, said. "Mr. Hattabaugh is committed to staying with us through Dec. 31."
Jeter said he doesn't anticipate any major changes to the superintendent search.
"Hiring superintendents is always challenging, you know, right now in education, and you see that nationwide, so, but I don't necessarily believe this is going to have an impact one way or the other," Jeter said.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note: A previous version of this story said Hattabaugh was serving a one-year term. His term was supposed to be from April 2022 to June 2023.