Enrolments are a little bit unorthodox at Kanye’s Donda Academy.
According to Rolling Stone, two families whose kids have been attending the Christian school, named after the rapper’s late mother, claimed to have been asked to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement, while third sources alleged they were not allowed to discuss the school.
However, Tamar Andrews, a consultant at the school, tried to debunk the claims, telling Rolling Stone that parents of every student only have to sign ‘informal agreements’ – but didn’t specify the type of ‘agreement’ required.
“Honestly, we don’t care if people know about the school,” Tamar said.
“The people that want to attend the school are looking for a good Christian school in that area (Simi Valley, California), and they know that we’re there. There’s also a certain notoriety that comes with being affiliated with Donda. So, I don’t know that we have to advertise, which is a blessing and a curse.”
Malik Yusef, a producer and longtime friend of Kanye West who reportedly helped birth the school’s concept, dittoed the idea, saying that Donda provides enrolling students with things that other institutions don’t.
“People choose to bring their kids 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, an environment of wealth, an environment of learning, and putting God as a focus.”
“The process of enrolment at Donda school is for the parishioners, for the attendees. I don’t think Kanye needs to tell the world what he’s doing so that he can be under more scrutiny,” he added.
The tuition for the school is reportedly $15,000 a year, but almost half of the students have been awarded scholarships or financial assistance. Malik said the other half are kids of Kanye’s collaborators and celebrities who can easily cough up the bank-breaking price tag.
To add to Donda Academy’s list of mysteries, Tamar confirmed the Christian school is yet to be accredited. However, it recently applied for accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the leading accreditation agency for all academic institutions in California.
This might be one of the reasons why the rapper’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, doesn’t want their kids attending the school.
Earlier this month, Kanye asked Kim if their four kids – North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3 could split their time between their LA school and Donda Academy.
While Kim’s reaction to the request was not shared, Ye hinted at her reluctance. However, after a social media frenzy, Kanye told his followers that the two had a ‘good meeting’ about their children’s education.
Can’t wait to see what unfolds next!