FORT FRANCES — The Rainy River District School Board has confirmed it's been alerted about a data breach that affected a student information service platform used in the education sector across North America.
According to the school board it is investigating the potential impact of the breach, along with PowerSchool—the application that was breached.
PowerSchool told affected school boards on Wednesday that it had suffered the security breach between December 22 and 28, 2024. So far, the English public and Catholic school boards in Thunder Bay and the public board in Kenora have confirmed to Newswatch that they were also notified.
The Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales and Kenora Catholic District School Board said they don’t use the platform.
“The incident is still being investigated by PowerSchool, as well as third-party security experts hired by PowerSchool and law enforcement,” Heather Campbell, the director of education for the Rainy River District School Board, told Newswatch in an email. “Our own IT department is equipped with cyber security protocols and is currently working with PowerSchool.”
In a letter to parents, Campbell said that—like in Kenora—no action is required from them or students, and that if personal information is found to be affected, they will be notified.
PowerSchool is a student information system that helps schools manage student data, including enrollment, grades, attendance and schedules, providing tools for teachers, administrators and families, including portals that allow families to track academic progress and attendance. It is used by thousands of school boards and organizations across North America.
