Meadowbrook Farms School

West Bay Christian Academy is an extremely rigorous school academically. The workload is intense in quantity and is challenging for all levels. It prepares students well for high school.The culture of the school is toxic and stifling, however. The atmosphere of inerrancy in its conservative Evangelical religious and moral teachings shuts down any room for debate or questioning. As a young gay man coming to terms with my identity while attending WBCA, the virulently homophobic teachings left me feeling isolated and ashamed. The fear of my secret being exposed and the punishments and loss of friendships that could arise from this caused me to internalize my struggle and not confide in anyone about it. Parents must understand that if their children are LGBTQ+, there are no support systems in place at WBCA or most other religious schools. My experiences at WBCA have inflicted long-lasting psychological damage, have hindered my personal development, and have weakened my faith.

Our family had high expectations based on what was presented during the open house, tour, and interviews. Unfortunately, the school does not live up to what is being sold. Outdated teaching practices, stale lessons, and lots of mundane worksheets do not serve the students’ learning. In a culture stuck in the past, nothing new and innovative is happening, putting students at a disadvantage as other schools embrace technology and incorporate it into the curriculum. Scare tactics and punishments are used instead of support and encouragement. Parents must volunteer to run all of the sports and extracurricular activities or they do not happen. Overall, it falls very short of the image that is projected onto the community.