The Primary School, a tuition-free Bay Area school co-founded by Priscilla Chan and educator Meredith Liu, has ended operations. An April 2025 Futurism report said families were told the school planned to close after the 2025–2026 school year. The school’s current website says it operated from 2016 to 2026 and that its operations have concluded.
Which school closed?
The story concerns The Primary School, which had campuses in East Palo Alto and San Leandro. Futurism’s April 26, 2025 report described the school as providing free tuition along with medical and mental-health services for students and families. The report said the community included low-income households and some families with undocumented or mixed documentation status.
The school was co-founded by Chan and Liu. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative says it was founded in 2015 by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, but the sources available here do not establish that Zuckerberg personally made the closure decision.
What families were told, and when?
| Time | What the sources report |
|---|---|
| 2016 | The Primary School began operating, according to the school’s current website and the 2025 reporting. |
| April 26, 2025 | Futurism reported that families were invited to a breakfast meeting with administrators and learned of a planned closure after the 2025–2026 school year. |
| End of the 2025–2026 school year | The reported target for closure. |
| 2026 | The school’s current website says its work ran from 2016 to 2026 and that operations have concluded. |
Futurism’s account said families were not given a reason for the decision. No source reviewed here provides a confirmed explanation, a transition plan, or a complete account of what happened to every student.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- 45 PIECE SET: Bulk pack contains everything your K-12 students need to get organized & start the school year off right
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: 5 # 2 pencils, pencil sharpener with lid cover, canvas pencil case, 5 ink pens (black, red, & blue ink), 5 (primary colors) colored pencils, 3 highlighters, 4 paper pocket folders, non-toxic wax crayons, righty/lefty scissors, 4 art erasers, 2 1-subject notebooks, composition book, 2 glue sticks, & standard/metric ruler!
- BASIC SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Why shop & pay separately for 1 of every essential for your kids when you can get them all in 1 convenient packaged set?
- DETAILS: Products are safety compliant and made for kids! Highlighters are water-based, pencilsharpener collects shavings, scissors are made for little hands, “lead” pencils are graphite, ruler measures inches and centimeters both, & can be tucked into a 3-ring binder (spiral notebooks too!), rubber erasers work well as art erasers or for small/big mistakes, & zipper pencil holder stores all included accessories!
- PERFECT FOR TEACHERS & PARENTS: Whether your child is homeschooled or goes off to preschool, kindergarten, 1st-5th grades, or middle school (junior high), or even summer camp, this school supply pack is ideally suited to meet their needs as they grow & learn
Why parents said they were “dumbfounded”
Parents quoted in Futurism’s account of New York Times reporting described the announcement as unexpected. Parent Emeline Vainikolo said, “Overnight, [Chan] gave us a complete reversal that none of us could have imagined.” The report 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.”
Another mother, who was not named because of immigration concerns, said staff had supported her autistic six-year-old son with educational accommodations and helped ensure classmates did not bully him. These are parents’ statements as quoted in the reporting, not independently verified testimony in the available material.
Rank #2
- AWESOME 5-PACK: Ideal for color-coding by subject or child, this 5-pack of 1 Subject Notebooks comes in elegant shades of Pink,Purple, Blue, Green, Yellow, with 70 college ruled pages per notebook.
- COLLEGE RULED: Each 8" x 10-1/2" notebook features 70 double-sided sheets with red margin lines and is 3-hole punched, allowing for easy transfer to your binder.
- CLEAN TEAR-OUT: Micro-perforated pages ensure a neat tear-out, leaving you with 10 1/2" x 7 1/2" sheets. Accommodates double-sided writing and prevents ink bleed-through from your favorite gel pens.
- DURABLE COIL LOCK SPIRAL: The sturdy coil lock spiral keeps pages securely in place and resists snags. The coated cover withstands frequent transfers in and out of backpacks, briefcases, and vehicles.
- 3-HOLE PUNCHED DESIGN: Easily organize and store your notes in a 3-ring binder, reducing clutter in your study or work area.
What is known about the school’s size and services
Futurism described roughly 550 students and their families in 2025. That was an approximate figure for the community at the time and should not be treated as a current enrollment number. The report described a combined education, medical-care and mental-health model, but the sources do not provide a verified staffing total, budget, or quantified financial value of those services for each family.
Was politics or a DEI decision behind the closure?
The reporting does not establish a political cause. When asked whether Mark Zuckerberg’s political turn had anything to do with the funding decision, Carson Cook, identified as the school’s senior strategy and advancement manager, replied, “No comment.” That response neither confirms nor rules out a political explanation.
Rank #3
- Visible Application: Disappearing purple formula helps kids see where the glue is.
- Mess-Free: Applies smoothly and dries clear for a neat finish.
- Educator’s Choice: The #1 teacher brand, ideal for younger learners' crafting and projects.
- Safe and Non-toxic: Acid-free formula is perfect for classrooms and homes.
- Bulk Value: Contains 30, 0.24-ounce (7-gram) Elmer’s craft glue sticks.
Likewise, the available sources do not show that a change involving diversity, equity and inclusion caused the closure. The school’s current website confirms that operations have ended but does not explain why.
What closure means for affected households
For families, the loss may involve more than finding another classroom: the reporting described tuition-free education plus health and counseling support. However, no complete public record in the sources reviewed identifies every family’s next school, replacement services, transportation arrangements, special-education accommodations or eligibility outcome.
Rank #4
- BUY A BIC AND WE’LL GIVE A BIC: This back to school season, when you purchase BIC highlighters, we will donate one to teachers and classrooms in need
- BACK TO SCHOOL ESSENTIAL: One 5-count pack of BIC Brite Liner Highlighters in assorted fluorescent colors, sized right for a student's backpack, pencil case, or a teacher's classroom supply drawer
- BUILT FOR STUDENTS: Chisel tip highlights broad lines across textbook passages or fine-underlines key terms in notes, making it the right tool for studying, test prep, and everyday class work
- TRANSLUCENT INK THAT STAYS OUT OF THE WAY: Ink emphasizes what matters on the page without covering the text below, so students can highlight and still read every word they marked
- LONG-LASTING INK: Each highlighter writes up to eight hours without drying out, even with the cap left off, so a 5-pack carries students from the first day of school through the end of the semester
Questions families would need to compare in a replacement
- Tuition, fees and eligibility for financial assistance.
- Grades served and whether a place is available.
- Special-education services and accommodation procedures.
- Access to school-based medical, behavioral-health or counseling care.
- Campus location, transportation and commuting costs.
- Language access and documentation requirements, including policies affecting mixed-status families.
No specific alternative school is identified by the sources, so none can be recommended as a verified replacement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The bottom line on the “Zuckerberg is shutting down their school” claim
The headline refers to The Primary School, a Chan- and Liu-co-founded, tuition-free school that received support associated with Chan and Zuckerberg. Parents told reporters they were shocked by the closure announcement. The school’s website now says operations concluded in 2026. The available reporting does not establish who made the final funding decision, why the school closed, or that politics or DEI changes caused it.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Premium Thick Paper: 180gsm weight resists bleed-through and withstands frequent handling
- Key Ring Design: Perfect for attaching to bags, backpacks, or keys - always have your notes handy
- 5 Color Assortment: Choose from 5 vibrant colors (purple, blue, green, pink, white) to suit your style and organizational needs
- Generous Quantity: 50 sheets per color (totaling 250 cards) provides plenty of space for all your notes
- Ideal Size: The 3x5 inch size index card is perfect for quick jotting, to-do lists, flashcards
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
