In a surprise announcement, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) revealed that its tuition-free Primary School serving low-income Bay Area families will close at the end of the 2025–26 academic year. The decision ends a decade-long experiment in blending early childhood education with comprehensive health and family support services, launched by Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and pediatrician Priscilla Chan in 2016.
The Primary School opened two campuses—in East Palo Alto and San Leandro, intending to serve children from infancy through the middle school level. It combined traditional classroom instruction with on-site medical, dental, and mental-health services, as well as “parent wellness coaches” to support whole families. More than 95% of its students came from underrepresented minorities, and the model drew attention at education and health conferences, including SXSW 2024.
CZI was founded in 2015 alongside Zuckerberg’s pledge to donate 99% of his Facebook shares. Its four original focus areas were personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people, and community building. The Primary School was one of its earliest education investments. In 2017, Chan described the school’s mission as addressing “toxic stress” in children affected by poverty or trauma, asserting that resilience can be built through integrated care. LinkedIn
Why the School Is Closing
In its brief notice to families, the school described the closure as a “very difficult decision” and attributed it to CZI withdrawing its support, although it offered no further details. Three parents told the San Francisco Standard that funding dropped from $8 million in 2022 to $3.7 million in 2023, forcing the board’s hand.
CZI confirmed that its board of directors made the decision and pledged to invest $50 million in affected communities over the next five years, including hiring transition specialists and making contributions to 529 education savings plans. Families will also receive one-time grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, based on the student’s age, to ease the transition to new schools.
Carson Cook, the school’s senior manager of strategy and advancement, said staff are working “to ensure that every child and their caregiver is supported,” but declined to elaborate on the timing or strategic rationale behind the shutdown.
Impact on Families and Community
Parents described the school as “a gift to the community” amid Silicon Valley’s housing-cost crisis. Many worry that the loss of free, wrap-around services will leave their children without comparable alternatives in an already under-resourced public system. One East Palo Alto parent told the San Francisco Chronicle, “We had it all here—education, healthcare, support. Now they’re taking it away.”
Local educators and advocates note that the school’s closure highlights broader concerns about the sustainability of philanthropic initiatives in public services, particularly when funding priorities shift. “This model showed what’s possible,” said an education policy expert at Stanford University, “but it also highlights the vulnerability of relying on a single funder.”
Strategic Shift at CZI and Meta
The school’s end coincides with a wider retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives by both CZI and Meta. In February 2025, CZI announced that it would “wind down” its social-advocacy grantmaking, including programs focused on immigration reform and racial equity, to concentrate on investments in science and technology. Meta made a similar move in January, cutting internal DEI efforts amid a changing political climate under President Donald Trump.
Observers link these programmatic changes to Zuckerberg and Chan’s increasingly public overtures toward the Trump administration, including a $1 million donation from Meta to Trump’s inauguration fund and Zuckerberg’s attendance at White House events. Some view the school closure as part of a broader realignment of resources and priorities.
What’s Next for Students and Staff
Over the coming year, the Primary School will work with families to explore new educational options. Parent wellness coaches will assist caregivers in navigating enrollment processes, and CZI’s transition specialists will provide planning support. Staff will remain employed through June 2026 and will help ensure continuity of services until the final day of instruction.
School leadership says it is committed to delivering “the best year of school and programming” in its final term. Meanwhile, CZI plans targeted investments in local education and healthcare providers to fill service gaps left by the school’s departure.
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