The Primary School, a tuition-free private school that serves K-8 students from low-income families in East Palo Alto and the East Bay, announced it will shut down at the end of the 2025-26 school year. 

The Primary School is funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic organization established and owned by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. The school first opened in 2016 as a collaborative effort between Chan and Meredith Liu, who was the school’s principal until 2023. Liu died in April of that year. 

According to the Primary School’s website, its purpose is to “close the achievement gap” for communities of color affected by systemic racism and marginalization. Neither The Primary School nor CZI provided an explanation for the school’s closure; however, the foundation says it will invest $50 million in the coming years in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven and East Bay Communities. CZI’s stated goal is to invest 99 percent of the couple’s wealth from their Facebook shares over their lifetime.

“Immediate support will include: Investments in 529 education savings plans for all our students to support their future learning (and) transition specialists and support for families as they navigate the transition to new schools,” The Primary School said in a statement.

The school provided healthcare and other support services to students, and worked closely with parents to help kids succeed. Former East Palo Alto Mayor Antonio Lopez grew up in the city and went to the school in the ‘90s in the same building that now houses The Primary School. He said the decision to close the school broke trust that had been previously established between CZI and families. 

“You really build the hopes of a community,” Lopez said. “We’re in the shadow of Silicon Valley, of Stanford, and so naturally there’s a bit of distrust that people have (towards philanthropic efforts). I think after a while, (The Primary School) really won hearts and minds. It really felt, for a while, that they were etched in the community, and so I think there was a real sense of optimism and excitement and real pleasure in seeing a partner like Dr. Priscilla Chan—and that kind of name and backing and money—helping to really be bold when it comes to the education of our kids. And so, when that went awry with the news, you felt a deep sense of betrayal.”

Teresa Prado, a parent of a current student at The Primary School, said the news came as a shock and with a sense of deep disappointment. She said she is worried students will struggle to transition to new schools.

“They’re not thinking about how this affects the kids psychologically,” Prado told The Campanile in an interview conducted in Spanish. “(Students are) in classrooms where they feel safe, where they’re listened to. And little kids don’t understand why their school is closing. They just hear that it’s closing, and they’ve been crying. They’ve adjusted to this school, and they’re happy here. It’s not easy for a child to adjust to a new place.”

Prado said part of what is particularly frustrating to her is the closure feels so abrupt, and she said she wishes CZI would have made the process more gradual.

“They should at least let the kids who are already here at the school graduate before closing it,” Prado said. “She just sent word that she’s going to close it, and that’s it. They didn’t give any notice. And the thing is, not a single child has graduated from here since the school has opened. Not a single child.” 

Representatives of CZI and Ravenswood Superintendent Gina Sudaria declined interview requests for this story. Chan and Zuckerberg did not respond to interview requests. 

As a result of the closure, Ravenswood School District will absorb over 400 Primary School students, 58% of whom have IEPs or receive specialized support. However, it will not receive more funding from the state for this extra enrollment because it operates on a basic aid model, and is primarily funded by property taxes. This means that its already limited resources will be stretched increasingly thin.

East Palo Alto Vice Mayor Mark Dinan acknowledged that while CZI has been generous regarding other community needs in the city, he said the effects of the school closure will be felt significantly.

“It’s incredibly disruptive,” Dinan said. “I can imagine a lot of kids having trouble with the transition. The Primary School is an employer here in East Palo Alto, and I personally know five or six people who work there. Not only will you have kids (facing disruption), but you also have a lot of teachers, administrators and support staff looking for work as well.”

Lopez said education holds symbolic significance to the city, making the closure even more painful for the community. 

“My parents came to this country because they wanted a better life for their kids,” Lopez said. “And how do you get a better life? You go to school. There’s a lot of different industries that (CZI) could have gotten involved in, but you pick such an emotional, symbolic one like education, right? And you know, when you think about the abandonment that is being enacted … that’s pretty cruel.” 

Lopez also said the community deserves more communication and transparency regarding the closure. 

“I think the way they went about it was really messed up,” Lopez said. “I mean, I think the courtesy of a phone call when you’re going to fire somebody … or when you’re going to break up with somebody (is a bare minimum). It’s like, ‘So, what were we to you?’ It’s really a heartbreaking thing. I’m tired of seeing our mothers crying on NBC.”

Prado and other parents said the sting of the school closure might be lessened if Chan, who used to visit the school, would come again to listen to parents’ concerns.

“At first, Priscilla came in-person and showed her face,” Prado said. “And now that she wants to close the school, she hasn’t come to say anything personally to us. Maybe things have changed, but we still want her to come to see for herself. We would invite her to come to the school — come to the parent coffee, and listen to us. But she doesn’t show up.”

According to Lopez, this announcement is part of a larger pattern of wealthy individuals disrespecting the community.

“It’s like we’re being treated like a guinea pig,” Lopez said. “It’s like we’re just an experiment for innovation. I’m sick and tired of it. We don’t want the moon in the sky. We just want opportunity. We want a fair shot in this game, in this society.”

But even in the face of hardship, Lopez said he knows the East Palo Alto community will recover.

“East Palo Alto has always been a resilient city,” Lopez said. “We weathered many, many storms of all kinds in history. I don’t want to end with despair or a sense we’re doomed, because we’re not. We have a great school district. We have a wonderful superintendent. We have a wonderful board. I have no doubt that we’re going to be OK, and I want people to know that we’re strong, and that our children are brilliant and beautiful and bright.”