Corrupt Leadership Digs in as O’Neal Falls Apart
Marketed as a safe, thriving college-preparatory institution, The O’Neal School projects a polished image through ads and brochures. But behind that facade, the organization is fracturing. Enrollment is falling, teachers are leaving, and parents are questioning both the quality of education and the safety of their children. The cracks are evident in the voices of those who have witnessed the decline firsthand.
GreatSchools.org is a public website where families and educators share their experiences about schools. The reviews quoted here highlight what is being said publicly by the community about O’Neal.
“As a former teacher at this school I would like to tell every parent looking at this school to run. The leadership is 100% in the pockets of the board of trustees. 90% of the teachers at this school do the bare minimum and do not care about the students. This is mainly because the pay is so low. But the pay is low because you don’t have to maintain your state teaching license. Most of the staff can’t stand the parents of the students and openly bad mouth them. If you happen to be a single parent I promise you the staff will judge you and your child for it. This is extremely common in the middle school. If your child is in the middle school and has an IEP I can promise you the principal talks poorly about your child. This is not an institution of learning. This is a business out to make money.” – Posted August 11, 2025
That erosion of trust is now directly reflected in the school’s enrollment. O’Neal is beginning this academic year with roughly 435 students, down from about 550 just two years ago. At an effective tuition of approximately $15,000 per student, this shortfall represents more than $1.7 million in lost revenue annually. Even more troubling is the high school population which has fallen to levels that threaten the very viability of the program. Public listings show that the 11th grade currently has only eight students enrolled — a staggering decrease from classes that once held more than 30. Internal emails confirm that declining enrollment is already impacting staff compensation decisions. In April, Head of School Dale McInnis told faculty that salaries would remain at current levels, but cost-of-living increases or bonuses could not be finalized until summer enrollment was known.
A past employee put it more bluntly, stating,
“The school is failing … The new leadership is cutting all the higher paid staff because they can no longer afford them.”
Parents have raised equally troubling concerns:
“In the last two years this school has gone from bad to worse. The last two heads of the school have destroyed this school. They pushed all of the good teachers out. But let’s talk about what you get for your $20,000 a year. Middle school is using out of date text books still. That’s right text books. Also they require a computer that you have to buy, that their IT person wants to take control of. The high school is still using text books THAT YOU NEED TO BUY. Just like when you go to college. There is no computer lab in the school. No stem lab in the school. They say lunch is provided, well that is after they raised tuition to cover the cost of lunches. But more importantly, the teachers DO NOT have to be licensed in North Carolina to teach because it is not a requirement at private schools, so the vast majority do not keep their training or licensing current. The ones that do end up leaving because they are not paid enough. And don’t get me started on the mold in the buildings. Your kids will be coming home sick A LOT! So for $20,000 a year you get an out-of-date education, by teachers that are not up to date on teaching practices or lessons, teaching out of books that you have to pay for. The school is nothing more than a money-making institution for the people that own it. They DO NOT care about your children’s education.” – Posted August 10, 2025
Instead of addressing these failures, the administration has chosen to spend thousands of dollars each month on digital marketing to disguise them. Ads promote “a safe environment,” emphasize “character development and physical well-being,” and even boast that “no locks are on lockers” because students are “governed by an honor code.” Yet this glossy branding does nothing to fix the problems; it only ensures that more families walk into the same harsh realities unprepared.
“The lack of leadership and professionalism is creating a toxic & dangerous environment at this institution. The principal is inept in handling serious issues that put young people at risk. Victims are silenced, their requests for help go unanswered and they are left feeling unheard and alone while attending this institution. As a parent I was left questioning the safety and wellbeing of my child, with no follow up or path forward on resolving issues we brought forth time and time again. We do not recommend this institution.” – Posted August 7, 2025
These reviews were published just weeks before the start of the 2025–26 school year at a time when O’Neal was already on its fourth Head of School in less than 18 months: John Elmore, Brenda Jackson, Dale McInnis, and now Interim Head Steve Lisk. The Board is the driving force behind this instability and it remains dominated by the same entrenched trustees who oversaw previous scandals. Four current members — Stan Bradshaw, Lee Howell, Konni McMurray, and Lynda Acker — held leadership roles during both the secretive 2014 campus sale and the 2023 assault cover-up. These are not secondary figures; they were central to the decisions made then and are once again steering the school’s future.
Bradshaw remains an active and Honorary Trustee despite violating the Board’s own Code of Conduct by misrepresenting school records to defame a student. Howell, who served as Secretary during the campus sale, now holds the powerful positions of Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee, placing him at the center of all major financial decisions. McMurray, after a one-year absence, has returned as Board Secretary, reviving long-standing concerns about conflicts of interest tied to her family’s ownership of half of the school’s campus property. Meanwhile, Acker continues to oversee buildings and grounds even though as Board Chair she ignored known security failures and allowed the expulsion of the very student who was assaulted on her watch.
Serving on the Board is not a ceremonial honor. It is a legal and ethical responsibility. As fiduciaries of the institution, trustees are personally accountable for the conduct of the Board and the decisions it makes. This is not a parent association or a class fundraiser. It carries real liability — legal and reputational — if misconduct is ignored. The consequences of actions taken by those clinging to power may still be unfolding, and anyone who covers for them risks being pulled into the same accountability they have long evaded.