Mark Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan’s $125 million school to shut after 10 years
The Primary School in East Palo Alto, co-founded by Priscilla Chan, is closing after a decade of operation despite $125 million in funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The closure follows a strategic shift by the organization to prioritize scientific research over social advocacy.
Why it matters
The closure highlights the challenges of philanthropic education ventures and the shifting priorities of major Silicon Valley foundations.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan co-founded the Primary School in East Palo Alto, California in 2016 with the backing of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). The school was designed to serve low-income families, the tuition fee private school aimed to support the “whole child” through wraparound services such as dental checkups, wellness coaching, and early‑intervention screenings. Over ten years, CZI poured more than $125 million into the project, making it one of the most ambitious philanthropic education ventures in Silicon Valley. However, despite the strong support services and community engagement, academic performance often fell short of state norms, complicating efforts to replicate the model in public and charter schools.
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