Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan are said to be operating a private school on their property in Palo Alto.
Zuckerberg's Home-Based School Violates Palo Alto Code
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, and his wife Priscilla Chan operated a private school out of their Palo Alto home, but it was found to be in violation of the city's code. The school, which was previously known as Bicken Ben, educates children from low-income families in East Palo Alto.
The Palo Alto city code prohibits operating a business or private school in a residential home if it creates significantly more traffic or parking demand than a typical residence and if employees do not live on site. Zuckerberg's homeschool pod—which other families also participated in—exceeded these limits without filing for the necessary special city permits.
City officials confirmed a complaint about a school at 1451 Hamilton Avenue, Zuckerberg's residence, and acknowledged the code violation. The school use was subsequently abated, meaning it was stopped.
Aaron McLear, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg and Chan, explained that the "private school" designation came from the state's school affidavit system, which does not differentiate between private schools and homeschool pods. McLear emphasized that no tuition was charged and many subjects were taught by parents.
Following these developments, Zuckerberg and his wife agreed to move their children's schooling to a different location outside their home.
This issue has arisen amid broader local controversies concerning Zuckerberg’s multiple real estate purchases and compound expansion in Palo Alto, which neighbors have criticized for impacting the community.
Before joining Town & Country, Emily Burack was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Burack can be followed on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @emburack.
References:
- Palo Alto Weekly
- Times
- Town & Country
- The Mercury News
- San Francisco Chronicle
- The royals and celebrities often make headlines in society's news, but so does Zuckerberg, making a splash for operating a private school at his home, which violated the Palo Alto code.
- Mark Zuckerberg, along with his wife Priscilla Chan, ran a school named Bicken Ben, providing education to children from low-income families, but their home-based school was found to be in breach of the city's code.
- The homeschool pod, which also hosted other families' children, exceeded the city's limits on traffic and parking demand, necessitating special city permits that were not obtained.
- In arts and education, learning opportunities are essential, and this home-based school, despite good intentions, failed to comply with the Palo Alto code, leading to its shutdown.
- Personal growth and self-development are essential aspects of life, and many subjects in the controversial home school were taught by parents, signaling an effort towards holistic education.
- In the realm of culture and entertainment, Zuckerberg's real estate purchases and compound expansion in Palo Alto have sparked local controversies, with neighbors criticizing the potential impact on the community.
- Emily Burack, a former deputy managing editor at Hey Alma (a Jewish culture site) and now a contributor to Town & Country, has been reporting on the developments regarding Zuckerberg's home-based school and its subsequent relocation outside of his residence.
