Mark Zuckerberg's Wife Closes $125 Million School Over Academic Outcomes
- Priscilla Chan's Primary School has officially shut down after nearly a decade in operation
- The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative cited academic outcomes, not finances, behind the decision
- CZI has pledged millions in transition support for the nearly 540 affected students
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Dr Priscilla Chan, wife of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has closed The Primary School, a philanthropic education initiative she co-founded, after the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative decided to stop funding it.
Source: Instagram
The Primary School was established in 2016 to provide holistic, tuition-free education and healthcare services to low-income families.
It had been funded with more than $125 million from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic organisation Chan and Zuckerberg co-founded, before the closure.
The decision comes as CZI shifts its broader focus toward biotechnology and artificial intelligence, reallocating resources away from some of its earlier initiatives.
Priscilla Chan's school closes after nearly a decade
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative confirmed it would stop funding The Primary School after the 2025-26 academic year, a decision affecting nearly 540 students enrolled at two campuses in California.
A CZI spokesperson said the closure was decided by the school's board and driven by academic outcomes rather than financial considerations, though the organisation did not detail exactly which outcomes fell short or what benchmarks the school failed to meet.
The Primary School had operated on a "whole child" model, combining classroom learning with healthcare services, developmental screenings, dental care, mental health support, and wellness coaching for parents.
Despite the model, the school faced leadership changes over the years and struggled to attract donors beyond CZI itself.
It had, however, reported improvements in literacy and student health outcomes compared to local averages during its years of operation, a track record that makes CZI's "academic outcomes" explanation harder to square with the school's own reported results.
CZI offers transition support to affected families
To ease the impact of the closure, CZI has pledged $5 million to cover remaining lease obligations and support community organisations connected to the school.
It has also set up education savings accounts worth $3.6 million, offering up to $10,000 per elementary school student to help with the transition.
School leaders have organised tours of other schools for affected families and set up an on-site station to help parents complete admission applications elsewhere.
Meta fires employees over Trump pivot leaks
According to an earlier report by YEN.com.gh, Meta said last year it had laid off 20 workers for leaking information to the media, as the social media giant faced pressure over Mark Zuckerberg's political shift toward US President Donald Trump.
The layoffs came amid growing scrutiny of Zuckerberg's changing posture toward the Trump administration, a shift that drew criticism from some within the company.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
