Dear Ottumwa Schools Families,
We are reaching out to inform you about a cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, a platform utilized by our district. On December 28, 2024, PowerSchool became aware of unauthorized access to certain information on its Student Information System (SIS). This breach was part of a global incident affecting multiple districts across the country, including Ottumwa Schools. This was not a localized incident.
What Happened?
Unauthorized access to PowerSchool’s SIS occurred on December 22, 2024. PowerSchool identified the issue on December 28, 2024, and notified customers, including our district, on January 7, 2025.
What Information Was Involved?
This breach includes personally identifiable information (PII) for a significant number of students, staff, and families within our district. Our IT team has confirmed that the following information may have been accessed:
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For Students: PII such as Social Security Numbers (SSN), dates of birth (DOB), addresses, medical alerts, and additional sensitive fields.
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For Staff: PowerSchool usernames and passwords, phone numbers, teacher numbers, and, for approximately 10 staff members, SSNs.
PowerSchool has assured us there is no evidence of misuse or public dissemination of the breached data. Additionally, PowerSchool engaged CyberSteward, a professional advisor, who has provided reasonable assurances that the data has been deleted without further replication or dissemination.
