THIRD COMMUNICATION
Feb 5, 2025
Dear Kelsey School Community,
We are writing to provide an update about the cybersecurity incident that PowerSchool, our student information system (SIS) provider, recently experienced.
We appreciate that more details about this incident that is impacting educational institutions across North America are needed. We have been working diligently to request more details from PowerSchool and ask questions about the details it has provided to date. We have also been investigating this incident ourselves, with assistance from experts.
While PowerSchool has advised that its investigation is still ongoing, it has provided some additional details and next steps:
- Identity Protection and Credit Monitoring Services: PowerSchool has engaged Experian to offer two years of complimentary identity protection services for all students and educators whose information was involved. PowerSchool has also engaged TransUnion to offer two years of complimentary credit monitoring services for all students and educators whose information was involved and who have reached the age of majority.
- Notification to Individuals Involved: Starting in the next few weeks, PowerSchool will provide notice to students, parents/guardians, and educators whose information was involved, as well as a phone number to answer any questions they may have about the incident. The notice will include the identity protection and credit monitoring services offered, as mentioned above.
- PowerSchool is in the process of notifying Canadian regulators about this incident. (Kelsey School Division has already notified the Manitoba Ombudsman.)
- You may visit https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/ for up-to-date information on the incident.
Based on our own investigation to date of the information stored in our SIS, we can advise that, except for a small number of mature students whose Social Insurance Number (SIN) were identified as stored in our SIS, no parent/guardian, staff, or student SIN, banking, or credit information has been identified as stored in our SIS. PowerSchool has nevertheless advised us that the identity protection and credit monitoring offers mentioned above will be sent to all individuals with any information involved. With respect to the small number of mature students whose SINs were identified as stored in our SIS, it is not yet known if these were involved in the incident. We have nevertheless already contacted the individuals whose SIN was identified as stored in our SIS out of an abundance of caution. If you did not receive a notice from us stating that your SIN was stored in our SIS, then we have NOT identified your SIN as stored in our SIS.”
We await additional details from PowerSchool about the findings of its investigations, the information involved in this incident, and the timing of the notices it will send. We will provide you a further update on this when available. Rest assured that when we have details to share, we are committed to sharing them.
There continue to be no operational impacts on Kelsey School Division as a result of this incident. PowerSchool has assured us that the incident has been contained.
In Kelsey School Division, we take cybersecurity and protecting information seriously. We will post updates about the PowerSchool cybersecurity incident on our website and social media accounts.
Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we navigate this situation.
Thanks,
Trevor Lane
KSD Superintendent of Schools
Kelsey School Division
322 Edwards Avenue
The Pas, Manitoba, R9A 1R4
Phone: (204) 623-6421