New Mexico Aztec schools reopen after network outage

Editor’s Note (Updated: Dec. 21, 2025): This story was updated today with additional reporting and public records posted after the February 2025 outage at Aztec Municipal School District.

Added the district’s reopening timeline and post-closure restrictions on network access.
Added details on safety-system impacts cited by district officials, including door security and monitoring tools.
Added local reporting that the district brought in outside IT support and said it had no evidence at the time that sensitive data was compromised.
Added reporting that the Interlock ransomware group later claimed responsibility, which the district has not publicly verified.
Added national context on the district’s size and recent ransomware activity affecting other New Mexico school systems.

Aztec Municipal School District in New Mexico shut schools for a week in late February after a network outage disrupted security and communications systems, and officials did not publicly confirm whether the incident was a cyberattack.

In a series of updates posted on the district’s website, officials said the outage was affecting “critical safety systems” including door security and student monitoring, limiting access to email and other online tools, and making virtual instruction unavailable. The district shifted students to paper-based learning while campuses remained closed, according to the district’s live updates.

A Facebook comment from Aztec Schools stating, "At this time, we do not have evidence that sensitive data has been impacted, but if the ongoing investigation reveals information to the contrary, we will provide notice to affected individuals in compliance with state and federal laws." — Aztec Municipal School District responds to concerns about data security, stating that while they have no evidence of data being impacted, an ongoing investigation is underway.

The district later said it planned to reopen campuses on Monday, March 3, 2025, and thanked families for patience as staff worked through “network complications,” according to the district’s public information posts.

After students returned, the district said the outage caused a loss of network connectivity to door security systems and that it put temporary measures in place. It also said it was restricting access to its network and not allowing non-school devices to connect during recovery work, according to the district’s follow-up update.

Local news outlets reported the district brought in outside technical help and framed the incident as a network disruption while the cause remained unclear. The Tri-City Record cited a district spokesperson saying a third-party IT firm was conducting an investigation and that there was no evidence at the time that sensitive or personal information had been compromised. In a TV report, KOB quoted district public information officer Hayley Lewis saying the district was working with “third-party IT professionals” to restore systems supporting doors, cameras and access to student contact information in order to bring students back safely.

Weeks later, the Interlock ransomware group claimed on its leak site that it attacked the district and stole data. The district has not publicly verified that claim or disclosed what, if any, information was taken. Researchers tracking ransomware claims reported the allegation in a March 2025 write-up and noted the lack of public confirmation from the district.

Aztec Municipal School District operates seven schools in San Juan County and serves about 2,500 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

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The disruption fits a broader pattern of cyber incidents hitting K-12 systems, where attacks and outages can quickly spill into day-to-day operations such as attendance, emergency communications and campus security. In New Mexico, Albuquerque Public Schools said a mid-January 2022 ransomware attack forced a two-day closure because systems tied to attendance and emergency contact were compromised, according to the district’s post-incident update. More recently, Gadsden Independent School District reported a ransomware attack in August 2024, KVIA reported. (KVIA report)