Board approves letter to North Carolina Attorney General after PowerSchool breach report

The Lee County Board of Education voted to approve a letter requesting legal action by the North Carolina Attorney General related to the nationwide PowerSchool data breach after the board’s attorney briefed members on the incident.

The board attorney reported that the incident was internationally initiated, affected 12 years of data, and involved both staff and student records. According to the attorney’s briefing, the breach appears to have been contained and, "the data that was taken has not been publicly released, and they are telling us that it has been destroyed by the people who took it." The attorney said the district has been told that PowerSchool is offering free credit monitoring to affected individuals and that notifications will be issued by PowerSchool as required.

The attorney said the breach was a PowerSchool issue and not the result of action or omission by the district or the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The attorney told the board that roughly 300,000 staff members' data nationally were accessed and that the student social security numbers accessed in North Carolina were predominantly associated with charter schools rather than traditional public-school students.

Board member Mr. Romo moved approval of a letter to the North Carolina Attorney General requesting legal action; the board voted to approve the letter by voice vote.

Board members said joint letters and coordinated action by multiple districts could add weight to state-level investigations and responses. The attorney noted some districts are considering legal options; the situation remains under investigation by state and federal authorities.