New Hanover school board urges attorney general to investigate PowerSchool breach, asks for longer identity protection

The New Hanover County Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Feb. 4 to send a letter to North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson urging investigation and legal action against PowerSchool following the district’s recent data breach.

Board member Josie Barnhart, who drafted and presented the letter, said the breach affected “tens of thousands of individuals in our county alone” and asked the attorney general’s office to seek comprehensive remedies, stronger vendor notification requirements and enhanced cybersecurity safeguards. Barnhart also noted that PowerSchool had offered two years of credit monitoring and said the board would press for a longer period: “PowerSchool is offering 2 years of credit monitoring,” she said, adding the board prefers something stronger for constituents.

Interim Superintendent Christopher Barnes told families the district has posted resources on its breach webpage and that Experian has established a call center to help affected people enroll in protection services. The board’s action directs the superintendent and the board’s advisors to coordinate with the attorney general’s office and to request state‑level remedies rather than using district legal resources.

The motion to adopt the letter as amended passed 7–0. The board recorded that PowerSchool‑provided notifications are under way and that district staff will continue to publish updated enrollment instructions and links to resources on the district website.

Next steps: Barnhart said she would distribute the final dated letter to board members and staff and transmit it to the attorney general’s office, and the board asked staff to continue communicating resources for impacted families.