A private elementary school in the Bay Area, which receives backing from Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, plans to cut nearly 150 positions as it prepares to close this summer. This comes as the tech mogul pours billions into artificial intelligence.
On April 15, the school notified the California Department of Employment about laying off 147 employees. The layoffs will take effect on June 12 as part of the planned permanent closure.
This institution has been providing tuition-free education to low-income families since 2016, and described the decision to close as “very difficult.” The closure, as they announced last year, now seems unavoidable.
This news arrives while reports suggest that Zuckerberg’s company, Meta, is set to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion on artificial intelligence this year—nearly double what they anticipate spending in 2025.
The school, funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative led by the couple, has campuses located in East Palo Alto and San Leandro, enrolling around 550 students in total.
In response to the closure, the initiative plans to contribute $50 million to various Bay Area communities over the coming years, aiming to enhance education savings plans and professional support.
“While the elementary school as it exists today is coming to an end, we sincerely hope that what we’ve learned and demonstrated will have a lasting impact,” the school’s statement noted. “We trust our partners in this endeavor, including those in education and health, to continue advocating for all families, especially the most vulnerable.”
The closure will likely displace numerous students and could overwhelm local educational institutions like the Ravenswood City School District, which caters to students from the East Palo Alto campus. Officials from the district warned that without sufficient space being arranged, the situation might lead to “immediate jeopardy.”
