PowerSchool Breach

PowerSchool Breach
Posted on 01/16/2025
PowerSchoolLogoTO PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND STAFF OF THE SCOTT COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

This is to advise you of a recent cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, a software vendor which provides Scott County’s Student Information System (SIS).

On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, PowerSchool informed us that they experienced a cybersecurity breach which allowed unauthorized access to SIS customer data, including personal identifiable information such as social security numbers of students and teachers. Unfortunately, we have been able to confirm that Scott County was one of the systems whose information was accessed along with several other school systems nationwide and in Canada. You will likely hear news reports of this incident because of its vast scope and impact on most if not all PowerSchool customers.

Since being made aware of this event, our technology department has devoted much time and effort researching the causes of the security breach, which are the sole responsibility of PowerSchool and could not have been prevented by Scott County or any other school system using PowerSchool software. They are also in communication with the state department of education and other parties who have been affected by and are responding to issues and concerns caused by the breach.

Although PowerSchool has advised the school systems affected that it has taken sufficient measures to contain the breach, we are taking proactive steps, to the extent that we can, to prevent another similar event from happening in the future, including the assignment of personal identification numbers for our students instead of social security numbers.

In response to this breach, PowerSchool has offered credit monitoring and identity protection services but currently, we have no specific information as to how they plan to implement such services. We will provide this information as it becomes available to us as well as any other developments related to the breach.

Sincerely,

Bill Hall
Director of Scott County Schools