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Superintendent says PowerSchool breach was statewide; district researching local impact before notifying families
Summary
Superintendent reported Jan. 14 that PowerSchool experienced a large, international breach affecting most South Carolina districts; the district is reviewing the local magnitude and will issue accurate communications once that analysis is complete.
The Orangeburg County School District’s superintendent told the board Jan. 14 that PowerSchool — the student information system used statewide — experienced an international data breach that affected districts across South Carolina and at least 16 other states.
Superintendent Foster said the state department informed districts that the breach has been secured. He said district leaders have been in contact with state officials and that the district is working to determine the magnitude of the breach as it specifically affects Orangeburg County. Foster said four South Carolina districts were reported as not impacted; every other district in the state had some level of impact, according to the correspondence the district received.
Foster said the district is drafting correspondence from PowerSchool and will not send a public notice until staff can provide accurate, locally specific information. "We are doing some research to see the magnitude of the breach specifically here to Orangeburg," he said, adding the district will send information "forthcoming" once it can verify what was affected.
Board members asked for updates and Foster answered that the district will provide additional information when available. The superintendent emphasized that the breach was not caused by any district action.
No details about the specific data exposed in Orangeburg County were provided publicly at the Jan. 14 meeting; district staff said they would follow up when they have confirmed local impacts.
