Hackers steal student, staff information in Springfield schools cyberattack

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 17, 2026

Springfield Public Schools experienced a cyberattack last week that disrupted operations for four days and exposed personal information of students and staff. Authorities, including the FBI, are investigating the breach, which may have compromised staff social security numbers, raising serious privacy concerns for the district’s 23,000 students and 2,000 employees.

A cyberattack targeting Springfield Public Schools last week not only forced a closure of the district's schools for four days but also compromised sensitive student and staff information, officials confirmed Tuesday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation contacted the district on Tuesday afternoon to notify them of the data breach, which appears to include personal information belonging to both students and employees. While the full scope of the compromised data and its potential dissemination remain under investigation, authorities indicated that staff social security numbers may have been among the information accessed, though this has not been definitively confirmed. According to the district, student social security numbers are generally not recorded in student data files.

The breach affected the district's ability to operate normally, disrupting essential information technology systems such as email, phone communications, medical and food service databases, and classroom curriculum platforms, according to a statement from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno’s office. These disruptions led to school closures from Tuesday through Friday, with classes resuming on the following Monday.

Springfield Public Schools, one of Massachusetts’ largest districts, serves over 23,000 students and employs more than 2,000 teachers across numerous schools. The scale of the cyberattack has raised concerns among the community regarding the safety and privacy of personal data.

Mayor Sarno, who addressed the incident at a news conference last week, characterized the perpetrators as a “sophisticated” group of hackers but declined to provide details about how the breach occurred or identify those responsible. Springfield Schools Superintendent Sonia E. Dinnall was not available for comment.

In a statement, the district acknowledged the anxiety such news causes for members of its community and affirmed its commitment to addressing the situation. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the breach and to mitigate potential risks to affected individuals.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.