Priscilla Chan founded a school; 10 years later, Board votes to close it
The Primary School, a tuition-free institution co-founded by Priscilla Chan and funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is closing after a decade of operation. The decision follows a strategic shift by CZI to focus on science philanthropy rather than social advocacy.
Why it matters
The closure illustrates the challenges of sustaining long-term philanthropic education projects and the impact of shifting donor priorities.
A decade after Mark Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan launched a tuition-free private school aimed at supporting low-income children and their families, the ambitious education project has closed, highlighting both the impact and fragility of philanthropy-backed community institutions. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the Primary School, co-founded by Chan and funded majorly through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), shut its doors un June after receiving more than $125 million in funding over roughly a decade. Located on East Palo Alto, California, the school opened in 2016 with a mission that went beyond academics.
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