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The Primary School, a tuition-free Bay Area school co-founded by Priscilla Chan and educator Meredith Liu, has concluded operations. In April 2025, families said they were stunned by the planned closure, which was expected after the 2025–2026 school year. The school’s current website says it operated from 2016 to 2026; neither that site nor the reporting establishes why it closed.
What was The Primary School?
The Primary School was a tuition-free school co-founded by Priscilla Chan and educator Meredith Liu. Futurism’s April 26, 2025 report described campuses in East Palo Alto and San Leandro, serving students and families with education as well as medical and mental-health services. The report characterized some households as low-income and included families with undocumented or mixed documentation status.
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Futurism put the school’s community at roughly 550 students and their families at the time. That is an approximate figure from the 2025 report, not a verified current enrollment count. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, founded in 2015 by Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, is described on its About CZI page.
Why were parents surprised by the closure?
According to Futurism’s account of New York Times reporting, families were invited to a breakfast meeting with administrators shortly before the closure news became public. Parent Emeline Vainikolo described families as “dumbfounded” and said: “Overnight, [Chan] gave us a complete reversal that none of us could have imagined.”
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Another mother, whose name was withheld because of immigration concerns, said the school had supported her autistic six-year-old son with educational accommodations and helped ensure classmates did not bully him. These are parents’ accounts as relayed in the reporting, not independently verified testimony in the available sources.
Vainikolo also relayed her son’s reaction: “‘Mommy, the guy who’s been giving money to our school doesn’t want to give it to us anymore,’” The comment reflects a child’s understanding of the change, rather than an explanation of the school’s funding or closure decision.
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When did the school close?
Futurism reported in April 2025 that closure was planned after the 2025–2026 school year. The Primary School’s current Stories & Lessons page says its operations have concluded and describes its work as spanning 2016 to 2026: “The Primary School worked from 2016 to 2026 to build a new school model that helped students and families grow and thrive.”
Why did The Primary School close?
The reason is not established by these sources. Futurism reported that families were not given a reason. The school’s current website confirms that operations ended but does not explain the decision in the material available here.
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Futurism says Carson Cook, identified as the school’s senior strategy and advancement manager, was asked whether Mark Zuckerberg’s political turn had anything to do with the funding decision and replied, “No comment.” That reply neither confirms a political motive nor establishes a connection to political or DEI changes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the impact on families?
The reporting captures parents’ surprise and describes services they valued, but it does not establish what happened to every student or family after the closure. It also does not provide a verified transition plan, staffing total, or quantified account of the effects on families. The available sources therefore support an account of the announcement and some parents’ experiences—not a complete picture of the school’s aftermath.
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