PowerSchool Data Breach Hits Two Pima County School Districts

A security breach at California-based educational software provider PowerSchool has put the data of at least two school districts in Pima County at risk. The districts affected include Flowing Wells and Vail, although not all districts utilizing PowerSchool’s services were impacted.

PowerSchool disclosed the breach on Monday, indicating that hackers accessed portions of the company’s student information systems via one of its websites. Despite the breach, PowerSchool claims there has been no disruption in services to its customers, who number around 16,000 and include over 50 million students across North America.

The compromised data includes social security numbers and medical information. In their announcement, PowerSchool confirmed their ongoing investigation into the incident and emphasized that they are working to determine which individuals’ data was involved. They also communicated with school districts last week, offering credit monitoring and identity protection as needed.

Flowing Wells officials confirmed the breach, with Assistant Superintendent Tabetha Finchum affirming the district’s impact. Superintendent Kevin Stotzfus reassured parents and staff that the breach originated from PowerSchool’s systems, not Flowing Wells’, and stated that their own database remains secure and functional.

In an email to parents, Vail district officials noted the breach’s implications, stating that it primarily affected PowerSchool and not their internal systems. They highlighted their district’s robust cybersecurity measures and the swift collaborative response with PowerSchool and third-party experts to investigate the incident.

While the full extent of the data breach remains unclear, PowerSchool has indicated that some personal information of parents and guardians, including names, phone numbers, and email addresses, may have also been compromised. The firm believes that there was no malware involved, and they are taking steps to prevent future incidents.

As investigations continue, local school districts are urged to remain vigilant and monitor communications from PowerSchool regarding the breach.