Zuckerberg-Funded Elementary School for Low-Income Kids to Shut Down

A Silicon Valley elementary school backed by Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to close in the summer of 2026, The New York Times reports.

The tuition-free school, known as The Primary School, opened in 2016 in East Palo Alto, California, a relatively low-income and diverse area compared to many of its Silicon Valley neighbors. The school, which has another site in San Francisco, serves about 550 children, and is backed with funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), a nonprofit founded by the Meta founder and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

In notifying parents of the shutdown, the school did not give a reason. However, the Times reports that some teachers may have told students the closure was due to CZI withdrawing funding for the project. “Mommy, the guy who’s been giving money to our school doesn’t want to give it to us anymore,” a child allegedly told its mother.

Earlier this year, CZI said it would move away from social advocacy and refocus on science research, namely research at the intersection of biology and AI. The nonprofit, like Meta, also announced it was doing away with its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program (DEI) in February.

“This was a very difficult decision, and we are committed to ensuring a thoughtful and supportive transition for students and families over the next year,” read the official announcement. The school had been openly seeking additional funding for some time, according to its website.

CZI will continue investing in the local Silicon Valley community, pledging a $50 million investment over the coming years in the East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, and East Bay communities.

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

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