SCDE communication regarding PowerSchool Data Breach

Dear Florence 1 Schools Families,

On January 8, 2025, district administrators received communication from the South Carolina Department of Education regarding a cybersecurity breach at PowerSchool. F1S has initiated our response plan on the local level and administrators are actively investigating how this PowerSchool breach affects our district. As we get more information, we will share it with our families. 

Please see the message below from the SCDE.

District Superintendent, 

Late yesterday, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) was informed by PowerSchool of a cybersecurity breach involving its PowerSource portal. During a meeting with PowerSchool’s senior leadership, they confirmed that personally identifiable information (PII) was compromised. 

This breach resulted in unauthorized access to certain customer data from PowerSchool’s Student Information Systems (SIS), including data from multiple other states and school districts across the country. The SCDE is currently working to understand the full scope of the breach. 

PowerSchool has stated that this breach has been contained. However, that does not mitigate or diminish the seriousness of this incident.

The SCDE is actively communicating with PowerSchool, law enforcement, legal counsel, and local districts to assess the full impact on South Carolina schools, students, and educators. 

PowerSchool has informed the SCDE that they have taken steps to secure its systems, engaged cybersecurity experts, and is also coordinating with law enforcement to address the breach. SCDE will continue to engage and support districts and schools throughout this process. 

The SCDE is also in direct communication with the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Attorney General’s office.  

SCDE will continue to keep districts updated as more information becomes available. If you have any immediate questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly. 

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.