Chan Zuckerberg Initiative closes The Primary School in Palo Alto

The Primary School, a free K‑12 institution founded by Priscilla Chan, the wife of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has announced it will cease operations at the end of the 2025‑2026 academic year. The school, located in Palo Alto, California, served low‑income families, offering tuition‑free education, health care and social services. Over its ten‑year run the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative invested more than $125 million in the project.

The closure follows CZI’s decision to end its financial support and shift resources toward biomedical research and artificial intelligence. The move leaves over 500 current students without a place, prompting the Ravenswood City Elementary School District to arrange temporary classrooms and seek alternative placements. Families will need to enroll their children in other schools for the next academic year.

The shutdown highlights the challenges of philanthropic education models that rely on a single benefactor and underscores a broader trend of tech‑sector donors reallocating funds to scientific priorities.