Did Mark Zuckerberg hide an illegal school in his Palo Alto compound

Tension inside Crescent Park rose steadily as neighbours claimed that Mark Zuckerberg had allowed a fully functioning school to operate inside his expanding Palo Alto compound without permission. The area is known for quiet residential streets and high property values, yet residents said the calm had been slowly eroded by the noise, security presence and constant traffic linked to the site. For nearly a decade, neighbours raised concerns but the matter reached its peak when they realised that a school named after one of the family’s chickens appeared to be teaching children inside the grounds.

State listings suggested the school, called Bicken Ben School, opened in 2022, although neighbours believed it had been operating much earlier. Some residents told the city that they had counted far more children than the official filings indicated. They also noted staff arriving daily, drop offs causing congestion and classroom activity inside converted structures. Through Freedom of Information Act documents and hundreds of emails, residents painted a picture of a neighbourhood worn down by years of what they viewed as unchecked disruption.

City officials insisted they were treating the compound like any other property and denied giving the family special consideration. However, neighbours argued repeatedly that action had been slow and inconsistent. They sent long messages to planning staff, accused them of ignoring violations and said they felt that their community had been overshadowed by the interests of a single wealthy household.

As 2024 progressed, the pressure mounted. The city eventually informed a representative for the family that the school would have to cease operations unless it secured a conditional use permit. The deadline was set for June 2025. By late summer, neighbours noticed the school activity had stopped, although the family later said it had simply moved to a different location. Residents expressed frustration that they had no clarity about where it had gone or what it might be called now.

Despite the relocation, many believed the issue represented more than a single dispute. To them it reflected years of construction, staff movement and large scale projects that changed the character of their streets. One neighbour said they remained surrounded by noise and debris and felt the core problem had never been resolved. The saga left the area divided, exhausted and still waiting to see whether calm would ever return.