CYBERATTACK, MIGRANTS TOP AGENDA
47 children residing at ICC are attending LPS
LOWELL >> As the response to the attempted cyberattack on Lowell Public Schools stretches into its second week, Superintendent Liam Skinner told the School Committee during its Wednesday night meeting that the recovery was “well along.”
Late Thursday, Jennifer Myers, a spokesperson for the district, confirmed that internet access to all the schools had been restored.
“IT staff are still in the process of visiting schools to ensure everyone’s passwords have been changed and employees who use MUNIS will be able to access it once the city approves restoring access to the system,” she wrote by text.
According to Skinner, the Feb. 28 hacking attempt on a district file server was blocked by cybersecurity software, but to stop any potential malware spread, the information technology department shut down all internet access.
“Unlike the city problem the year before, this cyberattack was not successful,” Skinner told the committee.
Last April, the city confirmed that the online group “Play” had claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that disrupted municipal operations. Restoring systems and capabilities from that hack is ongoing.
Skinner said the unknown “perpetrators” were not able to exfiltrate any data and did not damage district systems, nor did “they grab something that they could hold us to ransom for.”
His comments were in response to a motion made by committee member Dave Conway to request an outside audit of the security of the network and to determine how the district can maximize the safety of the system.
“The bad guys don’t rest,” Conway said. “It would be wise on our part to seek advice from a company that comes in and
evaluates our entire security.”
Myers said that the IT department had installed Cynet security software on all computers. In addition to internet access, the staff also has access to email, Google Suite and Aspen/x2, a student management information system.
“Our IT Department is working with the City’s (Management Information Systems) to make sure before everything is completely opened up again that it is buttoned up and safe,” Myers said in an earlier email. “We know it has been frustrating for staff, but these things take time and honestly staff have done a great job pivoting and adapting.”
The superintendent compared the district’s cyberattack to Umass Lowell’s 2021 cybersecurity incident that affected their technology services
and took two weeks to resolve.
“I think we can beat that,” Skinner said. “I think we’re well on our way to being fully recovered.”
He thanked City Manager Tom Golden and Management Information Systems at City Hall, who he said have been working “side-by-side” with the district on the recovery effort.
Conway’s motion was unanimously passed.
In a motion response to committee member Eileen Delrossi, Interim Chief Schools Officer Wendy Crocker-roberge’s report updated the committee on the status of migrant students enrolled in the district, which she described as “manageable, so far.”
In August, Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts due to the rapidly rising number of migrant families in need of shelter and services.
The migrant families who are fleeing unrest and violence
in their home countries — predominantly Haiti and Venezuela — are in the country lawfully and allowed in with the knowledge and consent of the federal government. Lowell was selected as one of the shelter sites, and families began arriving in January.
“While the recent addition of a shelter at the Inn & Conference Center has served close to 270 children, only approximately 20% of those children so far are schoolaged,” Crocker-roberge said. “Several of those children were previously registered in nearby districts and have elected, under the Mckinney-vento Act, to be transported to their current school district.”
As of Feb. 23, a total of 47 students who reside at the ICC are registered in LPS. Another group of families that was expected to be moved to the ICC toward the end of February, with an anticipated 31 school-aged children, has not yet happened.
“The number is lower
than what we were anticipating from the ICC,” Crocker-roberge said. “There was another group that was expected, but they have not come. There are delays. The state is opening up other shelter sites. So, it seems that at least for time being it has slowed down a bit.”
With the lower-than-expected student enrollment numbers, Crocker-roberge said the district has been able to provide “a ton of services for these kids.”
Given Lowell’s immigrant history, LPS has experience integrating diverse learners into its educational system, particularly in the area of English language learners. The ELL program provides language-based services, which enable students who have limited English proficiency to receive the same level of communication and access to educational opportunities as native English speakers.
The state will reimburse the city at a rate of $104 per day per student.