The closure of two schools founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan has left families in the city center that they designed to help question how their children will do an education.
He New York Times He informs that in a surprise announcement this week, the primary school, an educational institution without registration founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Ir. Priscilla Chan, revealed that it would be closed in the summer of 2026. The school, located in East Palo Alto, California, was established in 2016 with the mission of serving children from low -income families when providing workers and social users.
The primary school, together with its brother campus in San Leandro, California, was one of the first beneficiaries of the Chan Zuckerberg initiative, a philanthropic organization founded by the couple 10 years ago, which became entrueted. The initiative tested approximately $ 100 million in subsidies to the school and related groups from 2018 to 2024. Schools were expected to be to any lane to serve students of young children to eighth grade, with the offer of the school year 2025-26 the first.
The parents were surprised by the sudden announcement, which passed through a breakfast meeting with school administrators. Emeline Vainikolo, whose son is a kindergarten at school, shared that the parents were “stunned” for the news, and there was no clear reference for closing.
The moment of closing has led some families to question whether it is related to the recent change in the attitudes of Silicon Valley’s technological leaders towards the initiatives ofi. Many of these leaders, including Zuckerberg, have been trying to court President Trump this year, resulting in a setback from Dei’s initiatives in their companies and philanthropic organizations.
School leaders and the Chan Zuckerberg initiative have provided little information about the reasons for closures. Jean-Claude Brizard, president of the Board of Directors of the Primary School, emphasized that the decision was not part of a reduction in the reduction of Zuckerberg. Instead, he cited school struggle to attract funds from donors other than the Chan Zuckerberg initiative and their inability to demonstrate enough progress to convince public financiers or additional private sponsors to support it.
As the affected communities fight with the news, the Chan Zuckerberg initiative has committed to invest $ 50 million in the areas of East Palo Alto and San Leandro, as well as provide educational savings accounts for students of schools and the “transition specialists” to help the family find schools.
Read more in the New York Times Gentleman.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter of Knitbart News that cover issues of freedom of expression and online censorship.