Halifax County Schools Superintendent Doctor Huskin told the school board the district confronted three traumatic incidents in a single week: the death of a 4-year-old student at South Boston Learning Center, an overnight cyberattack that disrupted district systems and a bus accident that resulted in a pedestrian fatality.

The superintendent said the student was Sailor Leanne Coleman of South Boston Learning Center and described her as a joyful child who “touched everyone who knew her.” The division’s IT team, “small and mighty” and led by Doctor Hawkes, and outside cybersecurity professionals began work “within 15 minutes,” the superintendent said, and have been working around the clock to restore systems.

The cyber incident occurred in the middle of the night and caused disruptions that “could have halted instruction,” Doctor Huskin said, adding that staff quickly pivoted to minimize instructional interruption. Later in the meeting district staff said Internet access was “fully restored,” but some internal processes and tools remained offline and were being returned to service gradually.

On the same week the superintendent described, a bus accident claimed the life of a pedestrian. The superintendent said those events together “have tested our strength, our faith, and our unity,” and thanked central office staff, principals, teachers and community members for crisis response and support.

The superintendent offered condolences to the families affected and closed her remarks with an appeal to the community’s resilience. The board did not announce public findings about the bus accident or the cyberattack investigation during the remarks; the district said work with cybersecurity specialists and school staff was ongoing.

Two follow-ups identified during the meeting: continued technical restoration and ongoing support for students, staff and families. The transcript shows the district plans additional internal work and continued communications as systems are returned to normal.