Sandhills Classical Christian School 
The information on this page was last updated 7/14/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
At Sandhills Classical Christian School, we seek to provide a rich and nourishing environment where all may flourish. The spirit of unity on campus is fostered by parents who are actively involved, caring teachers who love their students and enjoy their work, and a student body that is growing in their understanding of Christ and the world they share together. At Sandhills Classical Christian School, we consider ourselves an extension of the family... a dynamic community of faith!
Contact information
Mailing address:
Sandhills Classical Christian School
1487 Rays Bridge Road
Whispering Pines, NC 28388
Website: sandhillsccs.org
Phone: (910) 695-1874
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 562147523
CEO/President: Elizabeth Griffin
Chairman: William Fields
Board size: 8
Founder: Max Stanton, Jamie Bransford, and Dr. George James
Ruling year: 1999
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
SCCS continues to strive for excellence in all we do. We provide a classical education that couples spiritual vitality with engaged students, exceptional staff, and robust programs in a well-designed learning environment supported by strong fiscal management and committed donor development.
Mission statement
Sandhills Classical Christian School graduates citizens of excellence who observe, think, and articulate with humility, reason, and clarity for the glory of God.
Statement of faith
1. We believe the Bible to be the only inerrant, authoritative Word of God. (Isa. 40:8, 2 Timothy 3:16'17, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 1:20'21)
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent and has all authority and power. (John 10:30, 37'38)
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, 1 Peter 1:3'5)
4. We believe that, for the salvation of lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary. (Romans 3:19)
5. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone. (Ephesians 2:8)
6. We believe that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17)
7. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. (2 Corinthians 6:16, Ezekiel 36:27, John 16:13)
8. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved to the resurrection of life, and they that are lost to the resurrection of damnation. (Matthew 7:13'14, Matthew 13:41'43)
9. We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:1 '11)
Donor confidence score
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Transparency grade
D
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Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: K-12 Schools/Academies
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 1402 of 1435 | 190 of 191 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 1281 of 1435 | 182 of 191 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 1260 of 1435 | 172 of 191 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 1226 of 1436 | 175 of 191 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 11% | 33% | 12% | 18% | 18% | 6% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 2% | 5% | 2% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 13% | 16% | 20% | 20% | 18% | 34% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 2% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 87% | 84% | 80% | 80% | 82% | 66% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 73% | 72% | 72% | 71% | 70% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 93% | 101% | 91% | 89% | 88% | 76% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 76% | 73% | 66% | 64% | 63% | 53% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 7% | -1% | 9% | 11% | 12% | 24% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 6% | -1% | 14% | 17% | 17% | 40% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 14% | 22% | 25% | 24% | 25% | 28% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.54 | 0.41 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.34 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.99 | 8.00 | 6.88 | 5.29 | 13.51 | 9.17 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.80 | 3.30 | 2.37 | 1.85 | 4.59 | 3.13 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 2.80 | 1.08 | 1.33 | 1.95 | 0.21 | 0.35 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.35 | 0.92 | 0.75 | 0.51 | 4.78 | 2.84 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 3.98 | 0.28 | 1.25 | 3.16 | -9.89 | -7.05 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 29% | 74% | 74% | 75% | 72% | 73% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 10% | 1% | 3% | 6% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 117% | 62% | 76% | 73% | 84% | 80% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Cash | $1,546,484 | $1,729,706 | $2,048,768 | $83,402 | $365,024 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $578,021 | $734,432 | $819,408 | $751,234 | $717,968 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $2,124,505 | $2,464,138 | $2,868,176 | $834,636 | $1,082,992 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $14,388,950 | $14,259,299 | $12,146,229 | $6,751,095 | $5,814,852 |
| Other long-term assets | $489,381 | $220,314 | $165,502 | $3,690,833 | $3,028,369 |
| Total long-term assets | $14,878,331 | $14,479,613 | $12,311,731 | $10,441,928 | $8,843,221 |
| Total assets | $17,002,836 | $16,943,751 | $15,179,907 | $11,276,564 | $9,926,213 |
| Liabilities | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $111,259 | $105,290 | $110,921 | $87,231 | $75,719 |
| Other current liabilities | $1,851,318 | $1,753,193 | $1,361,389 | $3,903,322 | $2,996,969 |
| Total current liabilities | $1,962,577 | $1,858,483 | $1,472,310 | $3,990,553 | $3,072,688 |
| Debt | $158,000 | $527,177 | $944,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $10,519,782 | $10,128,476 | $8,911,011 | $4,081,848 | $4,150,804 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $10,677,782 | $10,655,653 | $9,855,011 | $4,081,848 | $4,150,804 |
| Total liabilities | $12,640,359 | $12,514,136 | $11,327,321 | $8,072,401 | $7,223,492 |
| Net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Without donor restrictions | $4,362,477 | $4,429,615 | $3,852,586 | $3,204,163 | $2,702,721 |
| With donor restrictions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $4,362,477 | $4,429,615 | $3,852,586 | $3,204,163 | $2,702,721 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Total contributions | $1,131,287 | $1,284,932 | $1,186,733 | $806,255 | $1,518,959 |
| Program service revenue | $5,676,600 | $4,985,406 | $4,680,708 | $3,482,120 | $2,930,042 |
| Membership dues | $1,300 | $2,135 | $2,565 | $1,375 | $0 |
| Investment income | $7,342 | $25,180 | $1,081 | $5,498 | ($5,093) |
| Other revenue | $142,737 | $149,004 | $84,760 | $66,855 | $32,595 |
| Total other revenue | $5,827,979 | $5,161,725 | $4,769,114 | $3,555,848 | $2,957,544 |
| Total revenue | $6,959,266 | $6,446,657 | $5,955,847 | $4,362,103 | $4,476,503 |
| Expenses | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Program services | $5,086,345 | $4,224,649 | $3,796,836 | $2,728,392 | $2,358,483 |
| Management and general | $1,557,150 | $1,460,138 | $1,281,318 | $955,942 | $932,915 |
| Fundraising | $368,446 | $149,454 | $215,240 | $144,461 | $93,333 |
| Total expenses | $7,011,941 | $5,834,241 | $5,293,394 | $3,828,795 | $3,384,731 |
| Change in net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($52,675) | $612,416 | $662,453 | $533,308 | $1,091,772 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($52,675) | $612,416 | $662,453 | $533,308 | $1,091,772 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Gene Liechty | Director of Development | $112,363 |
| Wendell Cook | Head of School | $112,000 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2025
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 7/14/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Sandhills Classical Christian School was founded in 1999 by three visionary leaders: Max Stanton, Jamie Bransford, and Dr. George James.
None of them had a school-aged child. All of them had a conviction that the area needed a quality Christian school. They researched educational models and selected the classical method for its focus on teaching children not just the facts but also how to think.
The founders launched Sandhills Classical with five kindergarteners at a local church. Today the school has a thriving student body of more than 600 children in its preschool, grammar, logic, and rhetoric programs. It operates at four locations throughout the Sandhills, with its main campus in Whispering Pines, North Carolina.