The Ottumwa Community School District (OCSD) is addressing a global cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, a platform utilized by the district to manage student and staff information. This incident is part of a global breach that has impacted multiple school districts across the country, including Ottumwa Schools.
On December 22, 2024, unauthorized access to PowerSchool’s Student Information System (SIS) was detected. PowerSchool identified the breach on December 28, 2024, and notified affected districts, including OCSD, on January 7, 2025.
The breach potentially involved personally identifiable information (PII) for students, staff, and families. The district is working with PowerSchool to determine the severity of the incident.
PowerSchool has assured OCSD that there is no evidence of misuse or public dissemination of the breached data. CyberSteward, a professional cybersecurity advisor engaged by PowerSchool, has provided assurances that the data has been deleted and was not replicated or further disseminated.
The district, in collaboration with PowerSchool, is taking proactive steps to address the incident to include enhanced security measures and credit monitoring for eligible individuals.
The Ottumwa Community School District is committed to maintaining transparency and safeguarding the information of its students, staff, and families.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we navigate this situation.
