Looming Closure of Zuckerberg-Funded School Raises Concerns in East Palo Alto

Local officials are raising concerns about students and families after a tuition-free Bay Area private school, backed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced that it is shutting its doors at the end of next year.

The Primary School, with locations in East Palo Alto and the East Bay, sought to offer an education to low-income communities that included supportive services for the whole family, integrating health care, education and family support.

Currently, the East Palo Alto school has over 400 children, with 58% receiving specialized educational services. In a statement on Tuesday, the school said the Ravenswood City School District has agreed to help relocate students.

Still, East Palo Alto Vice Mayor Mark Dinan said the closure will be disruptive for students and families.

“I think we have component people in the Ravenswood School District — smart, competent, talented people who will be taking this on right now. However, this is a huge curveball, both for the district and for the kids and the parents and the families. It’s not something that was at all expected,” Dinan said.

The Primary School did not give a specific reason for its closure, and representatives declined to comment to KQED.

“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,” the school said in a statement.

The nonprofit Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which funded the school, has said it will spend $50 million over the next five years to help the affected families with the educational transition.

The Primary School said that, while more details are imminent, there will be investments in 529 education savings plans for all of their students, to “help support their future learning.”

Despite the looming closure, Carson Cook, senior manager of strategy and advancement at the Primary School, said the school remains committed to the quality of education for students.

“We have one more year with our families and with our students, and it really invigorates us and motivates us to provide them with the best year of school and programming that we possibly can,” Cook said. “Help them [children and their caregivers] lay the foundations that they can build on wherever the next step in their journey is going to take them.”