PowerSchool, the online system Bellevue East and thousands of other schools use to track grades, attendance, and personal information, was hacked in December of 2024. The breach may have exposed sensitive information such as student names, addresses, and even medical records.

According to Informa TechTarget, the hack was discovered on Dec. 28, when PowerSchool detected that someone had broken into their system using stolen login credentials and gained access to the database that stored student and staff information. Students and teachers were shocked to hear about the breach.

“I didn’t even know something like this could happen,” junior Almoni Hayes said. “We use PowerSchool for everything.”

In response to the hack, PowerSchool locked down the system, reset passwords, and added extra security measures. Bellevue Public Schools Director of Technology Greg Boettger explained that while the situation is serious, PowerSchool believes the stolen data has been deleted.

“PowerSchool has told us that they are very certain that the data has been destroyed and not shared,” Boettger said.

PowerSchool has stated that they will offer two years of free identity protection services for all whose information was involved. For students, however, the fear of their personal information being leaked is still real.

“If my grades got messed up or someone used my information, I wouldn’t even know what to do,” Hayes said.

According to WRAL, a news company located in North Carolina, the breach has had a huge impact, with reports showing that in North Carolina alone, the social security numbers of about 312,000 teachers and 910 students were exposed. NBC News reported that PowerSchool may have paid the hacker to delete personal information.

“I think hackers are going to get more sophisticated, using technologies like AI,” instructor John Campbell said. “We’re just going to have to adapt.”

This hack has made students more aware of how vulnerable their data can be online. To prevent future hacks, schools are tightening their security, but experts say students should also take steps to protect their own information. Along with staying informed with their personal information, Boettger advises students to use two-factor authentication whenever possible.

“All staff and students should always use two-factor authentication on any personal information such as banking, email, etc,” Boettger said.