Dear Scotia-Glenville CSD Families,

We are writing to update you on the recent cybersecurity incident that impacted PowerSchool, the vendor for our NYSED required student information system. In this global incident, PowerSchool corporate credentials were used to access student information systems. Though our data was breached, Scotia-Glenville CSD was not specifically targeted. Please refer to our earlier communications from January 9 for more information, also linked here and here.

In coordination with PowerSchool and Eastern Suffolk BOCES, we have reviewed the data set obtained through the December 2024 breach and are now sharing with you the specific data elements that were obtained in this corporate level incident.

What Information Was Affected?

The compromised student data included:

• Full name of student
• Student’s date of birth
• Student’s mailing address
• Parent/guardian name and address

This breach did not affect:

• Student or staff SG passwords
• Any financial information (credit cards, bank accounts)
• Student health records
• Social Security numbers (not collected in PowerSchool)
• Student photos or other educational records
• Personal email addresses

PowerSchool Assurances:

PowerSchool has assured us that they believe the accessed data has been irrevocably destroyed and not disseminated further. They are working with cybersecurity experts to monitor for any evidence of the data being shared or made public. They are actively investigating this incident and cooperating with law enforcement.

What We Are Doing:

We are closely monitoring all relevant Scotia-Glenville CSD accounts for any unusual activity. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide updates as they become available.

We understand this news may be concerning. We want to assure you that we are taking this matter seriously and working diligently to protect the privacy and security of our students.

Transition to SchoolTool

We are also taking this opportunity to inform you that we will be transitioning from PowerSchool as our student information system to SchoolTool for the 2025-2026 school year. SchoolTool is a New York-based company with a strong commitment to data security and privacy. We believe that SchoolTool will provide a more secure and robust platform for our students and staff.

We will be providing more information about the transition to SchoolTool in the coming months.

Sincerely,
Susan M. Swartz, Superintendent
Megan M. Johnson, Director of Technology