The recent cybersecurity breach affecting PowerSchool, a widely used student information system, has impacted several school districts in Central Ohio. The breach, which occurred on December 28, 2024, exposed personal information from students and teachers. PowerSchool, serving over 18,000 customers and 60 million students, confirmed unauthorized access to data through one of its customer support portals, PowerSource.
Among the affected districts in Central Ohio are:
- Marysville Village Schools
- Westerville City Schools
- Canal Winchester
- Upper Arlington
Upper Arlington provided a letter to parents detailing the breach, confirming that certain student and teacher data was compromised. However, they reassured families that social security numbers were not typically used in their system, and any affected individuals had been notified. The district emphasized that steps were being taken to prevent future incidents, including a review of security practices by PowerSchool and their local host, META.
While the breach has raised concerns, PowerSchool has assured customers that the compromised data was deleted and is unlikely to be shared or made public. They are offering support, including credit monitoring and identity protection services, to affected parties.
However, some districts, such as Columbus City Schools, have confirmed they were not impacted by the breach, as they do not use PowerSchool’s Student Information System.
PowerSchool continues to investigate the incident and has promised to update affected parties as more information becomes available.