Delano Public Schools canceled Wednesday classes after a Monday night cyber incident compromised the district network and led officials to shut down internet access while experts tested systems.
The closure disrupted in-person learning for a district of about 2,400 students and 370 staff members in Delano, Minnesota, west of Minneapolis. The district has not publicly confirmed ransomware, data theft or a ransom demand.
WCCO first reported the district described the event as a “cyber incident.” Superintendent Matt Schoen told the station that internet access was shut down immediately after the network was compromised “so no further damage could be done,” and that teams were working to identify and fix the issue.
Schoen told WCCO it was not clear whether the incident was an attack, but said the district network had been compromised. Students will not return to class until experts test the network and determine it is safe, the station reported.
Delano Public Schools did not respond to a DysruptionHub email Wednesday seeking details about affected systems, possible data access and when classes might resume. The specific nature of the incident and who may be responsible remain unknown. No public claims of responsibility had been found as of Wednesday morning.
The district’s public website remained reachable Wednesday morning, but its only visible notice about the disruption said school was canceled for the day. The notice did not describe the nature of the incident.
Delano Public Schools says it serves about 2,400 students and 370 staff members in Delano and families from nearby communities including Corcoran, Greenfield, Hamel, Independence, Loretto and Medina.
Chip in once
If this reporting helped you, a one-time tip helps cover hosting, tools and future investigations.
Support us monthly
A small monthly pledge keeps independent coverage and our reader tools online for everyone.
Other regional K-12 districts have faced recent cyber-related disruptions. In Michigan, Kentwood Public Schools said a student used malicious software to disrupt Wi-Fi across the district before outside experts isolated the issue and connectivity appeared restored. In Minnesota, Spring Lake Park Schools canceled classes for two days in April after an outside actor accessed some systems in what the district described as a cybersecurity incident. In Wisconsin, Denmark School District had a five-day internet outage after what local reporting described as a cyber incident, and a ransomware group later claimed responsibility, a claim DysruptionHub could not independently confirm.
Officials have not said what Delano systems were affected beyond the district network and internet access. They also have not publicly said whether any student, staff or family data was accessed, whether law enforcement is involved or when classes may resume.
As of Wednesday, the district’s return-to-class timeline depended on outside testing of the network, and no ransomware group, ransom demand or data theft had been confirmed.
