Priscilla Chan founded a school in 2016; 10 yrs later, it closed after $125m funding

​Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's wife Dr Priscilla Chan co-founded The Primary School in East Palo Alto, California, in 2016. The school was established to provide tuition-free education, along with healthcare and family support services, for low-income children. Ten years later, after receiving more than $125 million in funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), the school closed in June, following its board's April 2025 unanimous vote to wind down operations after it learned CZI would not continue funding beyond the 2025-26 academic year.​The closure marks the end of one of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's highest-profile education initiatives. Explaining the decision, board president Jean-Claude Brizard told the Wall Street Journal that the board had considered multiple options with CZI before taking the decision, including "winding down.”​"The board wouldn’t have voted to close without alignment from their biggest funder,” he added. A CZI spokesperson also told WSJ that the decision was made by the school's board and that the organisation remained focused on academic outcomes rather than the cost of operating the school.​Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s school combined education with healthcare and family support​The Primary School was created to address challenges faced by children living in poverty by combining education with healthcare, mental health support and family services. Students received free dental check-ups, developmental screenings and access to wellness coaching for parents.​The model reflected Chan's experience as a paediatrician, where she observed that education, healthcare and social services often operated independently despite serving the same families. Staff worked with local clinics to identify children with behavioural challenges, learning disabilities and other support needs. Around three in four students spoke a language other than English at home.​Chan was actively involved during the school's early years, frequently visiting classrooms, reading to students and participating in curriculum launches. Parents regularly attended coaching sessions and child development workshops held on campus.​Academic results of the CZI funded school remained below state averages​Despite the broad support offered by the school, its academic results were not consistent with meeting state standards. According to a study by Stanford University, in the spring of 2025, only 26% of students in third grade or higher at Primary School met literacy standards, compared to 47% statewide. But the school claimed that over 50% of eighth-grade students reached proficiency in their last year.​School leaders and former employees also acknowledged operational challenges, including frequent principal turnover and the complexity of managing education, healthcare, and family services under a single organisation. Former consultant Katherine Carter said there "really was not an understanding of the amount of time and support" required to establish a new school model.​Chan herself acknowledged last year that academic outcomes were not where "frankly, anyone would have wanted them to be," the WSJ report noted.​How CZI's funding shift led to the school’s closure​According to people familiar with the matter, the board decided to close the school after learning CZI would discontinue financial support after the 2025-26 academic year. CZI said its broader philanthropic priorities had shifted over several years toward scientific research, while funding for social advocacy had been reduced.​The organisation said the original intention had been for the school to become sustainable primarily through public funding rather than relying indefinitely on philanthropic support. However, attracting additional donors proved difficult.​Brizard said, "Why would you give money to an entity being funded by one of the wealthiest people in the world?"​How CZI will support the transition for students and families​At the time the closure was announced, CZI pledged $50 million to support the transition. The funding includes paying the remaining balance on the school's lease, supporting local community organisations, and providing education savings accounts of $10,000 for elementary school students, $2,500 for preschoolers, and $1,000 for children in early childhood education.​The Ravenswood City Elementary School District is preparing for an increase in enrolment by renovating facilities to accommodate nearly 540 students previously attending the Primary School.​School staff also organised tours of other schools, assisted families with admission applications and helped parents open the education savings accounts funded by CZI.​For many families, the school had become more than an educational institution because of the health and family services it provided. Parent Mele Fakapelea, whose eldest daughter was part of the founding class, described losing that support system as "crushing."Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.