In Los Angeles' rarefied world of private schools, where tuitions are high, academics are tough and educational philosophy is taken seriously, the newest member of the tribe is getting the kind of breathless attention reserved for a music or film star.
That may be because the founders of New Village Academy are themselves such stars: Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Entertainers have long flocked to private schools on the Westside and in the San Fernando Valley, where campuses are comparatively small, offer a discreet environment and are close to studios.
The Smiths, however, will be among the few celebrities -- Oprah Winfrey, Andre Agassi and Tiger Woods among them -- to establish their own school or program.
It is one of several initiatives by the couple, including a new foundation that will give grants to young people in the arts and education. About 80% of New Village students will receive financial assistance in the fall.
But the school's Sept. 3 opening, on the leased campus of a former school in Calabasas, will be accompanied by a whiff of controversy. Some of its teachers are members of the Church of Scientology, and it will use teaching methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
That has provoked a slew of headlines: On FOXNews.com, "Will Smith Funds Private Scientology School"; from Britain's The Guardian, "Will Smith funds school teaching Scientology creator's study method"; and on the religion blog of the Dallas Morning News, "Is Will Smith school a front for Scientology?"
Both Smiths have said they are not Scientologists.
In a statement, Will Smith said of the school: "About 10 years ago, Jada and I started dreaming about the possibility of creating an ideal educational environment, where children could feel happy, positive and excited about learning. . . .
"New Village Academy was born of a simple question, 'Is it possible to create an educational environment in which children have fun learning?' Jada and I believe the answer is 'Yes.' "
New Village Academy began about three years ago as a home school for the Smiths' youngest children -- Jaden, 9 and Willow, 7 -- and those of several other families. After an extensive search, Jacqueline Olivier, previously an administrator at private schools in Santa Monica and La Jolla, was hired to head the school.
Since joining the school a year ago, she has been responsible for hiring staff and preparing for the opening of the new campus.
