At the Donda Academy, registration looks slightly different.
Two families whose children have attended Donda Academy, which has fewer than 100 students, told Rolling Stone that parents must sign nondisclosure agreements for Kanye West’s secret school.
However, Tamar Andrews, an adviser to the school, tried to debunk the families’ claims, telling the outlet that each student’s parents were only required to sign an “informal agreement” — but did not specify what that “agreement” was.
“Honestly, we don’t care if people know the school,” Andrews said.
“The people who want to come to the school look for a good Christian school in that area and they know we’re there…there’s also a certain familiarity that comes with being affiliated with Donda. So I don’t know we should advertise, which is a blessing and a curse.”
West’s longtime friend and collaborator, Malik Yusef, echoes this idea, saying that the school offers students things that other institutions don’t have.
“People choose to bring their children to Donda Academy for a sense of privacy,” he said. “A sense of care, a sense of concern, a sense of love, an environment of health and an environment of wealth, an environment of learning and putting God first.”
“The Donda School process is for the parishioners, for the attendees,” he added. “I don’t think Kanye needs to tell the world what he’s doing so he can be scrutinized more.”
The tuition-based school reportedly costs $15,000 a year, but nearly half of the children have received financial aid or scholarships. Yusef said the other half of the students are the children of West’s employees and other celebrities who can afford the hefty price tag.
Adding to the mystery of the school, Andrews confirmed that the Christian academy is still in the process of being accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
This may be one of the reasons West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian doesn’t want their own kids to go to school.
Earlier this month, the rapper asked Kardashian if their four children — North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3 — could split their education between their Los Angeles school and Donda Academy in Simi Valley, California.
While Kardashian’s response to this suggestion was never shared, Ye hinted at her reluctance. However, after an Instagram frenzy, he told his followers that the two had a “great meeting” about their children’s education.
Despite the air of secrecy and mystery surrounding the school, West had previously shared photos of the Donda Academy students on his Instagram, decked out in their all-black uniforms from Yeezy’s collaborations with Gap.