Highline schools to be closed a second day after apparent cyberattack

Highline Public Schools will remain closed through Tuesday, after being the target of a suspected cyberattack.

It’ll be the second day in a row that classes and all other activities are canceled. Over the weekend, the district detected unauthorized activity on their technology systems.

Since then, the district has been working around the clock to restore systems with third-party, state, and federal partners.

The district said there’s so far no evidence to suggest that private student or staff information has been compromised.

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Chief Communications Officer Tove Tupper said canceling school is a tough choice — especially since it was supposed to be the first day of school for kindergartners across the district.

But the district currently cannot access essential digital systems that track things like attendance and bus routes — a big problem, especially at the start of the school year.

"We have to ensure that every kid, especially our youngest learners who are brand new to riding the bus, get on the right bus," Tupper said.

Plus, classroom phones aren’t working consistently, and teachers rely on those in case of emergencies.

"We understand what a burden that is, but student safety is our top priority," Tupper said in an interview Monday. "We just cannot have school without these critical systems in place."

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The district doesn’t know who’s behind the attack or what the motive is, Tupper said. But they'll share more information — including whether school is canceled Wednesday — as soon as possible.

A growing number of school districts across the nation and state are facing cyber and ransomware attacks, as they increasingly rely on technology for teaching, learning, and operations. In Washington state, the Northshore, Bethel, and Richland school districts are among those who have faced such threats in recent years.