A Parent's Review of Royal Legacy Christian Academy

Image Courtesy of RCLA

In this article, I want to offer a parent’s inside view of Royal Legacy Christian Academy, located in Waterloo, Iowa.

Let me begin by stating clearly: this is not an attempt to belittle public schooling. I currently work in a public school—at least for the remainder of this school year—and I am a product of that very system (Waterloo Schools).

Growing up in foster care, schools were a vital part of my survival. They provided food, structure, and safety.

Without them, I wonder how I would have even made it this far. However, my wife and I began seeking another educational option for our child—one that met three specific needs:

1. A Christ-Centered Educational Environment

We were drawn to an academic setting that offered Jesus Christ, prayer, and behavioral standards rooted in biblical values. That kind of environment was too appealing to pass up.

In today’s public schools, corporate prayer is often not allowed, and expressing personal faith can come at a high cost—sometimes even threatening a career. I once witnessed a student holding a sign that read, “Jesus is Savior.” 

Staff members eventually asked him to take it down. Praise God, the student stood firm, and nearly every other child in that school saw his sign!

At Royal Legacy, children attend chapel, pray, and are taught the Word of God regularly. As a parent, it’s an unspeakable joy to hear our little one come home excitedly sharing Bible stories and their meanings.

2. Smaller Class Sizes and Personalized Learning

One of the most practical benefits we’ve experienced is the impact of smaller class sizes. While studies on class size offer mixed conclusions, such as this cohort study, what I’ve witnessed firsthand is hard to argue with.

In my public-school experience, classes designed for 15 students often hold 28. In those settings, teachers are spread too thin to reach every child, let alone provide individual support.

However, The Word of God says, “give honor and tribute to who it is due.” Waterloo public school teachers are amazing in the circumstances. These people do so much with so little for so many!

However, they are in nearly impossible circumstances.

Consider this: if a math or language arts teacher is responsible for 80 to 100 students daily, and one-third of those students never receive one-on-one help, what does that mean over the course of 75 school days?

That’s potentially 20 struggling students falling further behind and in just one school. What if that number is expanded over multiple schools?

As you can see, that number gets exponentially larger over 188 school days (yearly).

Our child receives the attention and support needed to flourish academically and this, in my experienced view, will provide extraordinary value to your child both spiritually and academically.

3. Affordability through School Choice

Let’s talk about affordability. For families desiring other than public school options, and whatever your political view, Governor Kim Reynolds’ school choice initiative has been a blessing.

Thanks to this program, school choice vouchers are now available for eligible families, making private Christian education a viable option for many who might not have considered it before.

I won’t speculate on who qualifies and who doesn’t—that’s not my role. However, I strongly encourage interested families to apply by CLICKING HERE.

The application process includes opening and closing dates, so be mindful of deadlines.

Final Thoughts: A Place Where Children Thrive

There are many other wonderful benefits that Royal Legacy Christian Academy offers, but I’ll leave those for their leadership to share so visit their WEBSITE HERE.

What I will say is this: our child is thriving—not just academically, but socially and spiritually. For the first time, our little one is building meaningful relationships with peers who share the same belief system.

While academics remain our primary concern—and Royal Legacy excels in this area—we also care deeply about who our child is learning to associate with… and who they are not.

God forbid I come across as self-righteous. I simply understand now how critical social circles are in shaping life’s outcomes.

As Christian parents, we long to see our children grow, thrive, and become the individuals Jesus Christ has called them to be. In my view—and with a few years of experience as a Royal Legacy parent—no place offers that opportunity better than Royal Legacy Christian Academy.

I’ll leave you with this—spoken with deep respect for the family environment that defines Royal Legacy culture.

At the close of the 2023–2024 school year, there was a fellowship event attended by students and their parents.

When it ended, the kids were laughing, crying, and hugging each other. In that moment, it became clear to me that these relationships were far more than just classmate connections.

As I stood there, watching it all unfold, I thought to myself, “These children genuinely love one another. Why would I want my little one anywhere else?”

Life-changing moments often hinge not on the question, “Why should I?” but rather, “Why shouldn’t I?”