A number of families in our area received an email from their school in regards to a potential data breach.
Both Golden Hills School Division and Christ The Redeemer School Division, which have schools in Drumheller and the surrounding area, shared via letters to parents that they have been affected by a data breach with PowerSchool. PowerSchool is a program that provides access to students report cards and provides another tool for parents and teachers to communicate.
In a letter from Jeff Grimsdale, Superintendent of Schools for Golden Hills School Division, to parents, he shares that the data breach impacted student and staff data across North America. The school division was informed Tuesday, January 7th of a data breach that took place in late December of last year. Since being notified of the breach, Golden Hills has been working with PowerSchool to gather additional information on the investigation and the technology team has been doing their own investigation. They assure parents that no financial information was stored within the PowerSchool program.
In an excerpt from the letter sent to parents, “PowerSchool stated an unauthorized party gained access to certain PowerSchool student information system demographic data using one of their corporate support credentials, which became compromised.” PowerSchool shared that they do not believe the data involved has been shared or made public and believe the data has been deleted.
Late on Thursday, PowerSchool informed Golden Hills School Division that the data impacted was parent and student demographics with names, phone numbers, email, and addresses.
A similar correspondence was shared with parents of Christ The Redeemer Catholic Schools.
Drumheller Online reached out to both school divisions but as of today, have not heard back.
Prairie Land Public School Division parents and students were not affected by this information breach as they use different programs.
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