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District notifies families after PowerSchool Sys breach; Experian identity‑protection option offered
Summary
District staff said a vendor (PowerSchool Sys) experienced a data breach; the district posted notices required under the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPA), opened an insurance claim and offered two years of identity protection through Experian for affected families who opt in by May 30.
District staff briefed the board on a data security incident involving PowerSchool Sys and described steps the district took to notify affected families and staff, to comply with state law and to open an insurer claim.
Staff said the district sent two email notices (one in January and a second on Feb. 4) to current families and to former families for whom the district had contact information. The communication stored a copy of the notice in students’ digital records in compliance with the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPA). The notice described the incident, listed the types of data involved and offered two years of Experian identity‑protection services; families must opt in online or by phone and have been given a May 30 deadline to accept the offer.
District staff said they opened a claim with the district’s cybersecurity insurance provider (through the insurer/claims administrator named in meeting materials) and have been sharing documentation of vendor and district communications with the claims team. Staff also posted the full breach communications and links to enrollment for identity protection on the district’s Student Online Privacy and Safety page.
Board members asked whether an absence of email meant a family was “in the clear.” Staff said they notified all current families on file and all former families for whom the district had email addresses; if a family did not receive email, staff suggested it was because the district did not have a current or correct email on file. Staff added that a small number of families enrolled after the January notice (about 20) did not receive the initial emails because their records did not yet exist in the system and therefore would not have been part of the data set exposed by the vendor. The district encouraged anyone with questions to consult the Student Online Privacy and Safety page and to contact the district communications office for help enrolling in the identity‑protection service.
No vote or formal board action was taken. Staff said there were no out‑of‑pocket costs to families to enroll in the Experian service and that the district has been coordinating with the insurer.
