A recent cybersecurity incident affecting PowerSchool, a global provider of education administration software, has raised concerns for school systems across the country, including Fredericksburg City and Manassas City Public Schools. PowerSchool confirmed that its internal systems were breached in late December, resulting in unauthorized access to data involving students and educators from hundreds of school divisions.
PowerSchool, widely used by schools worldwide, supports over 18,000 institutions, serving more than 60 million students. The platform handles essential administrative functions such as attendance tracking, grade reporting, and student data management. While PowerSchool has restored its systems’ security, the breach underscores the vulnerability of sensitive educational information.
Local School Divisions Respond
Manassas City Public Schools issued a statement on January 10, acknowledging their use of PowerSchool tools and emphasizing their commitment to safeguarding community data.
“We have asked PowerSchool to identify the scope of impact this incident may have had on information pertaining to members of our community. PowerSchool has assured us that they are investigating the matter,” the statement read.
“Manassas City Public Schools takes the privacy of our students’ and employees’ information very seriously. We are committed to holding PowerSchool accountable.”
PowerSchool has indicated that it will directly notify any individuals whose information was exposed, but Manassas officials have yet to receive specifics on the data affected.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS) also confirmed being affected by the breach, releasing a statement to families and staff on January 7.
“FCPS is one of thousands impacted by the massive data breach. We have asked PowerSchool to identify the scope of impact this incident may have had on information pertaining to members of our school community,” FCPS said.
“We take the privacy of our students’ and employees’ information very seriously and are committed to holding PowerSchool accountable.”
Both divisions assured their communities that they are actively seeking updates from PowerSchool as its investigation continues.
The breach highlights the risks associated with centralized data management systems in education. While no evidence suggests individual school system networks were compromised, the incident has spurred calls for enhanced cybersecurity measures and greater transparency from service providers like PowerSchool.
