Data Breach Summary
Rancho Santa Fe School District is one of the many educational institutions impacted by a recent cybersecurity breach involving PowerSchool, a widely used student information system (SIS) utilized by schools across North America. The breach, which occurred around December 22, 2024, led to unauthorized access to personal data, including social security numbers (SSNs), medical information, and other sensitive details of individuals connected to the district.
The breach, which affected multiple school districts across the country, has raised concerns about the security of student and staff data. According to an internal assessment conducted by the district, the breach compromised some of the district’s data, primarily including contact information for both past and current students and staff. The South Carolina Department of Education issued a press statement on January 8, 2025, regarding the data breach. This incident has also affected other schools, including Lexington School District Four, Camas County School District, Perkins School for the Blind, and Lancaster County School District.
PowerSchool, a major provider of educational technology, has confirmed that the breach involved the theft of personal data from multiple K-12 districts across the United States. The attack, which began on December 19, 2024, was not detected until December 28, 2024. Hackers exploited stolen credentials and a maintenance tool called the “export data manager,” typically used by PowerSchool engineers to troubleshoot and optimize the Student Information System (SIS). By accessing the “Students” and “Teachers” tables, the attackers were able to extract sensitive data into a CSV file, which was then stolen.
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), in coordination with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and other federal and state agencies, has launched a comprehensive investigation into the breach. The full extent of the breach is still under review.
Affected individuals are advised to contact the three major consumer reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—directly to request a freeze on their credit. The school also encourages individuals to regularly monitor their accounts for any signs of suspicious activity and to follow further instructions provided in their notification letters.
Individuals associated with Rancho Santa Fe School District are advised to remain vigilant for any signs of suspicious activity involving their personal data. To protect against potential risks, it’s recommended to regularly monitor financial statements, update passwords, and exercise caution with unsolicited communications, such as phishing attempts. For additional guidance on safeguarding your information following a data breach, we encourage you to review this resource on responding to data breaches and the proactive steps you can take to protect yourself.
After reviewing the affected data, it was confirmed that a document containing personal information, including name, social security number, PII, medical details, even academic record, and other sensitive details, had been accessed.
If you received a data breach notification from Rancho Santa Fe School District, it likely means your information was affected. Class Action U, in partnership with KO Lawyers, is supporting individuals impacted by the Rancho Santa Fe School District data breach. If your information was exposed in this breach, you may be eligible to join a class action lawsuit to seek compensation for:
A successful case could also compel Rancho Santa Fe School District, to enhance its security practices to prevent similar incidents in the future. Contact Class Action U today to explore your legal options and protect your rights.
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