Newton County Schools in Georgia took affected computer systems offline after discovering unauthorized activity on its network days before students are scheduled to return to class.
The incident creates uncertainty as the district prepares for the 2026-27 school year. Newton County Schools, based in Covington, Georgia, operates elementary, middle and high schools and several specialty programs across the county.
The district said Monday that it recently identified a cybersecurity incident affecting its digital network and moved immediately to secure its systems. Cybersecurity specialists were brought in to investigate and help restore operations.
“We are actively working to determine the scope and impact of the incident and to safely restore operations as quickly as possible,” the district said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Students are scheduled to return Aug. 3, with open houses planned during the week.
Officials said additional updates would be released as the investigation and recovery continue.
A similar disruption in Tennessee has delayed another district’s school year. Sumner County Schools postponed the start of classes by six days after discovering unauthorized network access while local and federal authorities investigated.
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Newton County Schools did not identify which systems were taken offline or say whether registration, transportation, communications, classroom platforms or other school services were affected. The district’s website did not carry a separate notice about the incident.
The district has not described the incident as ransomware or identified malware, a threat actor or a ransom demand. It also has not said whether personal information was compromised. Data theft has not been confirmed, and DysruptionHub did not find a public claim at the time of publication.
It remained unclear Monday whether the incident would affect open houses or the first day of classes. The district had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
