The Primary School, a tuition-free private school in East Palo Alto, closed in June after roughly a decade and more than $125 million in funding. Its closure highlights the limits of philanthropy when long-term public support does not materialise.
The Primary School opened in 2016 as a tuition-free private school for children from low-income families. It was co-founded by Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg’s wife, and funded largely by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). The Wall Street Journal reported that the project received more than $125 million over about a decade before closing in June.
The school’s mission extended beyond classroom learning. It offered dental care, developmental screenings, wellness coaching for parents and other services. Academic results were mixed. A Stanford University report found that 26% of students in third grade and above exceeded literacy standards in spring 2025, compared with 14% of other local students and 47% statewide. The school said more than half of its eighth-graders reached grade-level proficiency in their final year. About 85% of its students had an annual well-child visit, compared with 55% of Medicaid-enrolled children in the county.
The board voted unanimously in April 2025 to close the school after the 2025-26 academic year. The Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said the vote followed word that CZI would not fund the school beyond that year. Board president Jean-Claude Brizard said he had offered the funder several options, including a wind-down, and that the board would not have voted to close without alignment from CZI. A CZI spokesperson said the decision belonged to the board and that the organisation was focused on academic outcomes rather than cost.
CZI said it had not intended to remain the school’s sole funder indefinitely and had hoped public investment would sustain the model. Brizard said other potential donors questioned why they should support a project already backed by one of the world’s wealthiest people. CZI said the decision was not influenced by Chan and Zuckerberg attending President Donald Trump’s inauguration; Brizard called the timing an “unfortunate coincidence.”
About 540 children were enrolled across two campuses. Ravenswood City School District began preparing for more students and renovating a campus to avoid placing them in portable classrooms. CZI committed $50 million for remaining lease payments and local groups continuing some services, and put $3.6 million into education savings accounts for students. Some parents said the closure came as a shock. School leaders helped families tour other schools, complete applications and open the accounts. The school’s only eighth-grade class graduated in June.