Update - February 5, 2025
Dear LPS Families and Educators,
I am writing to update you regarding the cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, the software vendor that provides our Student Information System (SIS).
On January 29, PowerSchool initiated the process of notifying individuals whose information was determined to be involved. PowerSchool has engaged Experian, a trusted credit reporting agency, to provide complimentary identity protection and credit monitoring services to current and former students and educators that had information exfiltrated from PowerSchool SIS. In the coming weeks, Experian (on behalf of PowerSchool) will be distributing direct email notifications to involved individuals (or their parent/guardian, as applicable) for whom PowerSchool has sufficient contact information.
Additionally, PowerSchool has worked with Experian to set up a dedicated, toll-free call center to answer any questions associated with these offerings and the incident. All the information regarding the activation of and access to these services will be included in the email sent to you by Experian. Whether or not you receive an email, you may also visit PowerSchool’s website to learn how to activate the offering from Experian, linked here:http://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/notice-of-united-states-data-breach/.
Protecting the privacy of our students and teachers remains a priority. Thank you for all your support and understanding during this time.
Sincerely,
Evonne Alvarez, Ed.D.
Superintendent
January 24,2025
Parents, Caregivers and Staff,
On January 9, we informed families and educators that PowerSchool had notified us that it had experienced a cybersecurity incident that resulted in unauthorized access to student and educator data. This incident is obviously concerning, and we are committed to being transparent in our communications with you. We will continue to share information with you directly.
While PowerSchool has expressed confidence that the data will never be made public, we know there is no guarantee it won’t be made public. The district has long prioritized data security and protecting student and educator information, and it is clear that PowerSchool’s compromise adversely affects these efforts. We assure you that we will continue to investigate and monitor this incident, share all relevant information as soon as it becomes available, and take any additional action necessary to protect the information you entrusted to us.
Please find below a link to a detailed explanation of the circumstances of the incident, the impact on LPS, and PowerSchool’s response. We have been notified by PowerSchool that students’ contact and other information was accessed, but we do not have any evidence indicating student assessment results, grades/academic data, report cards, full health records, IEPs, records about attendance, or discipline incident data were accessed. We do not store student or educator Social Security numbers or financial information in PowerSchool SIS and therefore were not part of this data breach. Additionally, no password-related information was accessed.
We will continue to be transparent and timely in our communication with you as we obtain additional relevant information. https://www.lynnschools.org/resources/power_school_breach_information
Respectfully,
Evonne S. Alvarez, Ed.D.