Monday’s classes were canceled in the region’s largest school district due to a cybersecurity incident, and officials are uncertain if school will resume on Tuesday.
Superintendent John VanWagoner sent an email to Traverse City Area Public Schools families at 8 p.m. on Saturday, along with a recorded message from the district, informing them that “a network disruption impacted the functionality and access of certain systems.”
Upon detection of the issue, TCAPS officials disconnected network access and enlisted the help of a cybersecurity firm to “secure the environment” and assess the extent of the breach, as stated in the notification.
“Protecting the integrity of our systems and the information we maintain is of utmost importance to us,” said VanWagoner. “Although we already have strong measures in place to prevent such incidents, we are dedicated to taking further actions to strengthen our defenses in the future.”
Classes for April 1 were called off due to the ongoing forensic investigation, and the decision to cancel Tuesday’s classes remains uncertain, according to VanWagoner. He mentioned that the district would provide an update to families by Sunday night or Monday.
VanWagoner reassured that they are working with a third-party cybersecurity team, insurance company, and law enforcement to swiftly resolve the situation.
TCAPS Board President Scott Newman-Bale refrained from commenting, while TCAPS spokeswoman Ginger Smith emphasized that the cancellation of classes on Monday was not a prank for April Fool’s Day.
The cancellation extends TCAPS spring break, which began on March 22.
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