Kriti MehrotraNBC’s ‘Dateline: Broken Circle’ is an episode investigating the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse allegations against the owner of the religious reform institution by the name of Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School. Owned and operated by Boyd and Stephanie Householder, who billed it as an entity for “troubled” girls to get better by following a strict regimen, this school allegedly became a nightmare for at least some of them because of the harrowing misuse and neglect. And now, if you’re here wondering whether the school is still operational, along with its cost, we’ve got you covered.
Where Is Circle of Hope Located? Is It Open?
The Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School’s property was a 35-acre estate just outside of Humansville, a small town of about 1,000 residents in western Missouri. Having opened up in July 2006 after Boyd, a Vietnam veteran, worked at similar establishments in Missouri and Florida, it incorporated two properties; one that functioned as the school and the other that became the Householders’ home. The faith-based reform academy was at 20285 E Highway N Humansville, Missouri, 65674, whereas the couples’ home was at 5705 S 2021st Road, Humansville.
The two-story, four-bedroom residence that housed girls as young as 6-year-olds acted as the place where they were required to do a myriad of chores, school work, and Bible study. The females were expected to keep up with everything, and if they failed, they were punished by apparently being restrained or any other unconventional way. Following the negative media attention on the school and its co-owners, though, who are currently under criminal investigation for the alleged abuse, Circle of Hope closed its doors for good, even going as far as to list its properties for sale.
What Was The Cost of Circle of Hope?
As per the tax returns filed by Circle of Hope, the ranch averaged 20 to 30 youth residents at a time, collecting about $285,000 in tuition fees in the year 2019, indicating that parents paid somewhere between $9,500 to $14,000 in total. The cost of attending the boarding school always fluctuated. After all, according to NBC, while one parent gave $300 a month for their daughter to go there, a few others revealed that it cost them over $1,000. Therefore, it seems like the tuition fees depended upon the time and the needs of the establishment.
Along with that, Circle of Hope only had a handful of staff members at all times, who apparently received little to no monetary pay. A former worker, who served there in 2009, has come out to state that she was only given a room and some clothing but no compensation. On the other hand, another former employee reported that she was paid $350 a month for working there from 2009 to 2011. However, according to the tax return filing, the ranch spent over $51,000 on salaries in 2019, with $13,495 from there going to Boyd Householder himself.
