The Primary School, which provided free education to children from low-income families, received more than $125 million in funding.
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, founded The Primary School in 2016 in East Palo Alto, California. The school was designed to provide free education to children from low-income families while also addressing their health and social needs.
The school received substantial financial support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), totaling more than $125 million.
What Was the School’s Purpose?
The Primary School was based on an educational model that differed from traditional schooling. Its goal was not simply to provide free education, but to make children’s health and social needs part of the educational system.
Along with free education, students received dental checkups, health services, early medical and developmental screenings, while parents were offered assistance with health and welfare-related needs.
The model was built around the concept of the “whole child,” recognizing that poverty, health issues, and family circumstances can also affect a child’s educational performance.
More Than $125 Million Invested
According to reports, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative spent more than $125 million on the school. It operated two campuses and had around 540 students when it closed.
Despite the substantial financial support, however, the school failed to consistently achieve the academic targets that had been set when it was established.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the school faced challenges including student academic performance, repeated changes in leadership, and dependence on continued outside funding.
Who Decided to Close the School?
According to available reports, the decision to close the school was not made solely by Mark Zuckerberg or Priscilla Chan. Instead, the school’s board of directors made the decision.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced in 2025 that it would stop funding the school after the 2025–26 academic year.
The board subsequently approved the closure, and both campuses shut down in June 2026. CZI said the school was an independent institution and that the final decision to close it belonged to its board.
Why Did the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Stop Funding It?
A major factor behind the decision was a shift in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s priorities. In recent years, the organization has increasingly focused its attention on science, biomedical research, and artificial intelligence research, rather than social projects such as the school.
At the same time, The Wall Street Journal reported that although the school achieved some successes, particularly in child welfare and social-emotional development, it failed to consistently meet its academic goals during its nearly decade-long operation.
More Than 400 Children Affected
Low-income families were among those most affected by the closure. More than 400 children were enrolled at the East Palo Alto campus and have had to transition to other schools.
Local officials expressed concern that the closure could significantly increase enrollment in public schools in the area, putting additional pressure on already limited educational resources.
$50 Million in Transition Support
Despite closing the school, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced $50 million in additional support for the affected community.
The money will be used for programs supporting children, families, early education, healthcare, and parents in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, and the East Bay. Financial assistance was also provided to the local school district to help with the transition.
Why Did the Costly Charity Experiment Fail?
The Primary School’s closure has revived a broader debate over whether philanthropic investments by billionaires can serve as long-term alternatives to public education systems.
The project adopted an unusual model that combined education, healthcare, and social support under one institution. However, the school remained dependent on substantial outside funding and ultimately failed to consistently achieve the academic outcomes its founders had hoped for.
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