Taxpayer Dollars Feeding Private School Greed
The O’Neal School is the most expensive private school in Moore County, North Carolina. Yearly tuition starts at $15,575 for kindergarten and elementary students and climbs to $20,990 for middle and high school. Despite these steep costs, the organization raises tuition almost every year while continuously seeking additional funding.
This relentless pursuit of money begins at the start of each academic year. The Annual Fund is marketed as a voluntary campaign, but in practice, it is treated as a required obligation. The administration employs a variety of tactics to pressure families into donating, including frequent emails, repeated reminders, and direct outreach from staff. They also recruit parents as “grade-level chairs”—volunteers who have already donated but are now expected to badger their peers to contribute as well. These parents receive lists of non-donors and are instructed to contact them weekly until they comply.
“As you know, tuition alone does not cover the cost of educating our students … Each week, you will receive a list of names and email addresses of parents in your child’s grade who need the aforementioned nudge to make a donation. We ask that you email this group, all blind copied, each week.” — Blanche Hancock, Institutional Advancement & Alumni Relations
Many find this role degrading, as they are essentially begging others for pocket change, even when it’s clear that some families are already financially strained. If these efforts fail, Board Members personally step in to call and question the families about why they have not contributed to the fund. The entire process fosters resentment and discomfort, yet leadership continues to position it as essential to the school’s success.
