We were recently informed by PowerSchool, our district’s Student Information System provider, of a nationwide data breach that occurred in their system between December 19 and 23. This breach, which involved student and staff data, was discovered by PowerSchool on December 28, and our district was notified late Tuesday afternoon.
The breach affected PowerSchool districts across the U.S. and internationally, including Kansas. Since learning about the incident, we have been working with other districts and state organizations to gather the most accurate information possible about the extent of the data breach and its potential impact to our staff and families.
We are also collaborating with PowerSchool to gain a clear understanding of the specific data impacted. We are grateful to report that it does not appear that any social security numbers were obtained. PowerSchool has assured us that the breach has been contained, no malware was involved, and the data obtained has been deleted and will not be shared publicly. They are continuing to investigate and have committed to keeping districts informed about the additional steps they are taking to protect private data moving forward.
In El Dorado Public Schools, safeguarding the security and privacy of student, family, and employee data is taken very seriously. While this breach occurred on PowerSchool’s end and has not affected any other systems in our district, it is deeply concerning to us, and we are approaching this situation with the seriousness it deserves.
As we learn more, we will continue to communicate openly and transparently about this situation with families and staff about any potential impact this breach may have on our staff and families.