PowerSchool Data Breach Affects Over 80 Canadian School Boards
PowerSchool Data Breach Impacts Over 80 Canadian School Boards
More than 80 school boards across seven provinces and one territory have reported being affected by the PowerSchool data breach, shedding light on the expanding scope of the incident. The breach, which compromised PowerSchool’s software used to manage student and staff data, has had widespread implications in Canada, the U.S., and globally since it was first detected in late December.
Last week, reports confirmed that over 2.4 million students were impacted at Ontario’s largest school boards, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Peel District School Board (PDSB). To assess the full extent of the breach, education departments across Canada were contacted, revealing that only Quebec, New Brunswick, Nunavut, British Columbia, and Yukon were unaffected.
Affected Regions
Confirmed data breaches have occurred in school boards within:
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba
- Ontario
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island
- Newfoundland and Labrador
Impact on School Boards
In Newfoundland and Labrador, both NLSchools and Conseil scolaire francophone de Terre-Neuve et Labrador were affected. Similarly, in P.E.I., the Public Schools Branch and La Commission scolaire de langue française confirmed exposure.
Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia each reported one impacted school board—Prairie Spirit School Division and Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education, respectively. In the Northwest Territories, five school boards were affected, including Yellowknife Education District No. 1, Beaufort Delta Division Education Council, and others.
In Manitoba, at least 21 school divisions, such as Brandon School Division and Louis Riel School Division, have confirmed being impacted. Ontario’s privacy commissioner reported that 20 school boards have contacted them regarding data access, including Durham District School Board, York Region District School Board, and Ottawa Catholic School Board.
Alberta officials have not provided an exact count, but affected school boards include Calgary Board of Education, Edmonton Catholic School Division, and others.
Number of Individuals Affected
The full impact on students, staff, and parents remains unclear, but early reports indicate:
- 2.46 million students affected in Toronto and Peel school boards
- 35,000 current and former students impacted in Nova Scotia
- 18,760 staff members affected at Peel District School Board
- 3,200 employees impacted at Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education
Historical student records have also been affected, with some cases dating as far back as 1965 (PDSB) and 2009 (Edmonton Catholic Schools).
Ongoing Investigations and Response
Both federal and provincial privacy commissioners have launched investigations, with Ontario’s privacy commissioner actively investigating and Alberta reviewing breach reports. PowerSchool has engaged TransUnion to provide two years of complimentary credit monitoring for affected adults and identity protection services for students and educators.
Meanwhile, an Alberta law firm has initiated a class-action lawsuit against PowerSchool, though it remains in early stages and is awaiting certification.
PowerSchool has stated that it is notifying U.S. attorneys general and Canadian regulators regarding the breach. Investigations are ongoing, and more school boards may confirm their involvement as further details emerge.
