08-05-2025
Primary School parents demand answers over planned closure
(KRON) — Parents of 450 students attending the Primary School in East Palo Alto are demanding answers on why their school is closing next year.
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The Primary School board announced the closure in April. Parents say the announcement came as a surprise and without any explanation. They are asking for more transparency from the Primary School board.
Reneisha Hunt's three-year-old is among the hundreds of students at the Primary School. She says that she and other parents learned about the school's closure on Zoom.
'I called my mom after and was like, 'What do I do? Because he's been on the waiting list since he was in my stomach,' says Hunt. 'I think I cut off the Zoom link after that. I was like, 'I'm over it at this point.''
The school was founded in 2016 by Meta founder, Mark Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan, and funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Parents say they're upset Chan hasn't directly reached out to them.
'It was kind of hard for them to hear it from the faculty and not her,' says Hunt. 'She was not on the Zoom. She wasn't attending it.'
Kyleigh Whitley's son and niece attend the school. She says even the staff seemed confused.
'Since I've heard the news, I've spoken with a couple of different staff members and it was a shock to them,' says Whitley. 'It was a surprise. Everyone is really disappointed about it.'
Carson Cook is the senior manager of strategy and advancement at the Primary School. He says he is also upset but is focused on finishing the last school year strong.
'It's a moment of grief,' says Cook. 'Every time you walk through these doors, there's so much energy, there is so much life. It's a school, right? It's a really joyous place to be.'
Hunt says she and other parents feel hopeless in trying to save their school and have no other choice than to move on.
'You guys keep saying 'it's closing, there's nothing to do,' 'there's no way to fundraise to keep it open,' 'there's no alternatives to keep it open and stay afloat'— so it is what it is, let it go,' says Hunt.
The Primary School board has a 529 education savings plan for all students that will support future learning — meaning they will be working with parents over the course of the year to set up the accounts so their children can use the money for education.
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