Cybersecurity Incident

No. Stillwater Area Public Schools doesn't collect student social security numbers and doesn't store staff SSN in PowerSchool.

No, Financial information to pay for meals, activities, or field trips is used through other systems outside of PowerSchool, so was not accessed in this breach. 

We do a lot of things to make different tools, like PowerSchool and School Cafe, seem like it's all one page to try and simplify the number of pages people need to go to, but it's a completely separate service that wasn't involved. The information accessed did not have access to your Google Account or shared logins to other places that you use your Stillwater Google Account to log into. 

On Jan. 7, Stillwater Area Public Schools was notified of a cybersecurity breach involving unauthorized access to PowerSchool, the district's Student Information System. This incident occurred due to compromised credentials at a third-party vendor hosting PowerSchool and did not involve vulnerabilities within the district’s systems.

The unauthorized access on PowerSchool's system occurred on Dec. 19, 2024. 

PowerSchool became aware of the breach on Dec. 28, 2024 and because to investigate. 

Stillwater Area School District was notified by PowerSchool in the afternoon on Jan. 7, 2025, and implemented their internal incident response plan. 

After investigation, Family and staff communication was sent out on Jan. 9, 2025 . 

• For Students: Names, addresses, birthdates, emergency contacts, homeroom teachers, enrollment dates, guardian phone numbers, and three to four individual emergency contacts. The student records include currently enrolled students, and those who graduated in the year 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.  
• For Staff: Names, district email addresses, and district phone numbers.

No. PowerSchool has confirmed that the data was deleted by the threat actor and has not been made public or shared.

The district has activated its cybersecurity incident response plan and is working with PowerSchool to assess the scope of the breach. Actions include:

• Participating in PowerSchool’s informational sessions.
• Consulting with cybersecurity experts.
• Coordinating with other affected schools to share insights and strategies.

Please be assured that the safety and security of Stillwater students and staff remains a top priority.

PowerSchool has implemented cybersecurity protocols, engaged third-party experts, and reported the incident to the FBI. They are working to strengthen their systems and prevent future breaches.

Email to impacted individuals - Thu, Jan 9, 11:09 AM 

Dear Pony families and staff,

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, we were informed of a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information within PowerSchool, our Student Information System (SIS). This breach originated with PowerSchool, and impacted school districts nationwide. The breach was not due to vulnerabilities in our district’s systems.

The data has not been made public. According to PowerSchool, the data involved was deleted by the threat actor as part of their interactions with the company.

What Happened?
A threat actor gained access to our SIS data by a third-party vendor hosting PowerSchool through compromised credentials. PowerSchool responded immediately by implementing their cybersecurity protocols, retaining third-party cybersecurity experts, and notifying the FBI.

Upon learning of this incident Tuesday afternoon, Stillwater schools immediately activated our own cybersecurity response plan. We have been collaborating with PowerSchool and our third party cyber security experts to fully assess the scope of the breach and identify the information involved.

Impact of the Incident
The following information was accessed during the breach:

• Student Information: Names, addresses, birthdates, emergency contacts, homeroom teachers, enrollment dates, guardian phone numbers and some individual emergency contacts.
• Staff Information: Names, district email addresses and district phone numbers.

It is important to note that no financial information or social security numbers were accessed, as the district does not retain that type of information on students or within PowerSchool for staff. 

Next Steps
Our team is actively participating in PowerSchool's informational sessions, investigating internally, and coordinating with other affected school districts to gather insights and ensure our systems are secure into the future.  

There is no evidence that the accessed data has been shared or misused, and families do not need to take any action. Should this change or should additional information come to light, we will notify you promptly. We will also be sharing a formal investigative report in the near future. 

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we address this matter. Please be assured that the safety and security of our students and staff remain a top priority.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact comments@stillwaterschools.org .

Sincerely,

Dr. Mike Funk, Superintendent

At this time, no action is required by families or staff. If this changes, families and staff will be notified with further guidance.

The district will communicate significant updates directly via email and post them on this webpage.

While no misuse has been reported, we recommend monitoring accounts for unusual activity. If misuse is suspected, please contact comments@stillwaterschools.org.

For additional questions, please contact email comments@stillwaterschools.org.