A school division in Winnipeg is one of several Canadian school divisions that have been affected by a data breach involving PowerSchool, a widely used student information system (SIS).
Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) in Winnipeg is among those impacted, which disclosed details of the incident on its website on January 8.
According to a statement from Acting Superintendent Ron Cadez, LRSD was informed by PowerSchool on January 7 that unauthorized access to the company’s systems had occurred in late December. While PowerSchool was the target of the breach, its customers across Canada and the United States were affected.
In LRSD’s case, accessed data included specific personal information of students and the names and email addresses of staff who are PowerSchool users.
“PowerSchool, not LRSD, was the target of the cybersecurity event,” Cadez emphasized in the statement. “We regret that this has occurred, and we will continue to collaborate on this matter.”
Portage la Prairie School Division was also impacted by the same breach.
PowerSchool, a U.S.-based cloud software provider, confirmed in a statement that it had taken “all appropriate steps” to prevent further unauthorized access. The company assured affected parties that the accessed data had been deleted and that the incident was contained. PowerSchool is continuing to work with cybersecurity experts to monitor the situation.
The data breach has had a broad impact, with school boards in Ontario, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador also reporting breaches. Ontario’s Toronto, Peel, and Durham school boards issued similar notices, and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has been notified. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial government stated that “multiple government departments” are involved in determining the next steps.
Edmonton Catholic Schools shared a letter from PowerSchool stating that the breach resulted from “a compromised credential” and that certain customer data had been accessed. PowerSchool emphasized that it takes its role as a data processor seriously and is committed to safeguarding student privacy.
LRSD reassured parents and staff that it had taken “necessary preliminary steps” to respond to the breach and that no other division systems or data had been compromised. The division is actively investigating the impact and has committed to keeping its community informed as more details become available.
“The safety and security of our data—particularly the information of your children and of our staff—is of paramount importance to us and to PowerSchool,” Cadez said. Parents and staff with questions have been encouraged to contact LRSD directly at communications@lrsd.net.
The breach, which occurred between December 22 and 28, is one of several recent incidents highlighting the vulnerabilities of third-party software providers in education. As investigations continue across affected regions, school divisions are working to ensure the privacy of their communities and prevent future breaches.
With files from The Canadian Press