The West Ada School District (WASD) was impacted by a **PowerSchool data breach in 2025**, part of a broader cybersecurity incident affecting multiple school districts nationwide. The breach exposed **personal information of current and former students and teachers** who used or had used PowerSchool’s services. The compromised data likely included sensitive records such as names, contact details, academic histories, and possibly employee identifiers (e.g., National Insurance numbers or payroll-related information).As a result, WASD is pursuing legal action via a **class-action lawsuit**, indicating significant operational and reputational harm. The breach not only risks **identity theft, financial fraud, or phishing attacks** targeting affected individuals but also undermines trust in the district’s ability to safeguard data. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in third-party education technology providers, forcing WASD to allocate resources for damage control, notifications, credit monitoring, and potential regulatory penalties. The long-term impact may include **enrollment declines, increased cybersecurity costs**, and strained relationships with staff, students, and parents.
West Ada School District cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/westadaschooldistrict
"id": "wes3993439111125",
"linkid": "westadaschooldistrict",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "5/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': ['current or former students',
'teachers'],
'industry': 'Education',
'location': 'Idaho, USA',
'name': 'West Ada School District (WASD)',
'type': 'Educational Institution (School District)'},
{'customers_affected': 'Multiple school districts '
'nationwide (including Idaho)',
'industry': 'EdTech / Software',
'name': 'PowerSchool',
'type': 'Education Technology Provider'},
{'customers_affected': ['current or former students',
'teachers'],
'industry': 'Education',
'location': 'Idaho, USA',
'name': 'Other Idaho School Districts',
'type': 'Educational Institutions'},
{'customers_affected': ['current or former students',
'teachers'],
'industry': 'Education',
'location': 'USA',
'name': 'School Districts Across the Nation '
'(unspecified)',
'type': 'Educational Institutions'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Notice of Data Breach issued by PowerSchool',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (personal information '
'compromised)',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (includes personally '
'identifiable information of students '
'and teachers)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['personal information']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025',
'description': 'The West Ada School District (WASD) is joining a class action '
'lawsuit due to a PowerSchool data breach in 2025. The breach '
'involved personal information of current or former students '
'and teachers from schools and districts using or having used '
'PowerSchool. PowerSchool issued a Notice of Data Breach '
'earlier in the year regarding the incident.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential reputational damage due to '
'involvement in class action lawsuit',
'data_compromised': ['personal information of current or former '
'students and teachers'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (personal information exposed)',
'legal_liabilities': 'Class action lawsuit participation'},
'references': [{'source': 'West Ada School District Announcement (implied)'},
{'date_accessed': '2025',
'source': 'PowerSchool Notice of Data Breach'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class action lawsuit (joined by '
'WASD and other districts)'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Notice of Data Breach issued by '
'PowerSchool'},
'title': 'PowerSchool Data Breach Affecting West Ada School District (WASD)',
'type': 'Data Breach'}