Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith are two of the big-name founders of a new private elementary school near Los Angeles, in Calabasas, California, that allegedly uses teaching methods based on Scientologist beliefs, having several Scientologists on staff. However, the Smiths have denied on more than one occasion that they are members of the Scientologist group.

The school, named New Village Academy, is scheduled for opening on Sept. 3 and is one of various enterprises by the couple to help endorse those implicated with the arts and education, welcoming children of all religious backgrounds. It developed out of a home school set out for the Smith's youngest kids Jaden, 9, and Willow, 7, who appears in “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.”

"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," said the “Hancock” star.

Jacqueline Olivier, the head of the new school and the person responsible for hiring teachers, insisted the school had no religious affiliation. While some staff members are Scientologists, she told the L.A. Times, others are Muslim, Christian and Jewish. However, one of the teaching methods practiced in the school, called “study technology’, was developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Some believe it to be a proper teaching method, while others argue it is only a way for Scientologists to draft members.

"We are a secular school and, just like all nonreligious independent schools, faculty and staff do not promote their own religions at school or pass on the beliefs of their particular faith to children," Olivier told the Times.