Sumner County Schools delayed the start of classes by six days after discovering unauthorized access to its network, disrupting registration and other preparations for the new school year.
The district, based in Gallatin, serves about 31,000 students at 53 schools across Sumner County, north of Nashville. Officials have not said which computer systems were compromised.
Superintendent Scott Langford said the district became aware of the unauthorized access July 20. The district notified local and federal law enforcement and the Tennessee Department of Education and hired third-party forensic specialists, according to a message sent to parents.
The Sumner County School Board voted Tuesday to move the first day of classes from Aug. 4 to Aug. 10. New student registration and registration nights were moved to Aug. 4 and 5.
WSMV reported that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, FBI and Department of Homeland Security were involved. The district’s statement did not identify the agencies.
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Cyber incidents have delayed school openings before. New York’s Monroe-Woodbury district opened one day late in 2019 after a network attack, while Hartford Public Schools postponed its 2020 opening by one day after ransomware disrupted critical systems.
The district has not said whether files were encrypted, data was accessed or removed, or a ransom demand was made. No attack type or threat actor has been confirmed, and no group has publicly claimed responsibility.
The district did not respond to a request for comment before publication. The investigation and recovery remained underway Tuesday night.
