The Meta billionaire couple has not explained why they would no longer support the poor.

Mark Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan, a pediatrician turned philanthropist, has decided to close a tuition-free private institution funded by their charitable organization — without explaining why.

The decision, which leaves families stunned, sees that the school’s two campuses in San Leandro and East Palo Alto, California, will shut down permanently at the end of the 2025–2026 academic year, according to a New York Times report.

The school — which Chan co-founded with educator Meredith Liu in 2016 — was initially established to confront systemic racism in education. Its two campuses serve around 550 students and their families, most of whom are Latino.

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By Bay Area standards, the school’s model was exceptional: beyond offering free tuition, it also provided free medical and mental health services to students and their families. It was expressly designed to "support the wellness and growth of parents alongside the wellness and growth of their children."

This holistic support was particularly critical for families who may be undocumented or living with mixed immigration status — support they described as life-changing.

The closure announcement came as an abrupt reversal, especially shocking given prior assurances from Zuckerberg and Chan’s charity that it would continue to uphold its social justice commitments — even as Meta ended its own diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

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Just before the closure announcement, families were invited to a breakfast meeting complete with bagels, fruit, and Starbucks — only to be told they would need to find a new school starting next year, leaving students and teachers alike grappling with what felt like a trust betrayal.

Still, the couple is among the biggest donors to charitable causes in the United States. In 2024, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan released more than $1.11 billion via their foundations or donor-advised funds, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Philanthropy 50” report.