Fallout from WRDSB cyber hack continues as students prepare to head back to school

With four days to go until the start of the school year, some students at Waterloo Region District School Board don’t know who their teachers will be and others won’t be able to catch the bus on the first day of school.

In a message posted to its website Wednesday, the board said it was unable to share classroom and teacher assignments through the platform School-Day as it did in past years.

Instead, the board is asking parents to check their child’s school website for first-day instructions. On Friday afternoon, some parents told CTV News they had received emails from their schools with classroom and teacher assignments.

The board did not explain why it was unable to share the information through School-Day. But various schools in the district have told families it’s the result of a cyberattack that occurred earlier this summer.

While the board says it is having issues with the system, a representative from School-Day has said their system has not been affected by a cyber attack and that any issues with it are internal at WRDSB.

The board has been tight-lipped about the hack it says it discovered earlier this summer, declining all CTV Kitchener’s requests for interviews on the subject.

The board has said employee information, including social insurance numbers was accessed during the breach. Student information was also compromised, but the board has not specified what type of student information.

An email sent to parents at Groh Public School indicated that due to the cyber incident, not all functions in School-Day are working properly.

A school bus loading sign is seen in Waterloo on Sept. 2, 2022. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

Last week, the board warned parents while most students will be able to take the bus on the first day, students who have moved in the last three months may not get bus service until Sept. 19 or later.

“Unfortunately the cyber incident that occurred last month at WRDSB has caused a number of delays in our routing. We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause students and families," the board said in a statement last week.

Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region said it’s also dealing with ongoing staffing shortages which may affect some routes.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?

First-day instructions vary by school.

According to Sandowne Public School, classroom teachers will hold a sign with their grade and have class lists in hand. Support staff will also direct kids to classroom doors and help with any questions.

Baden Public School says emails will be sent to families through School-Day, though the principal warns there may be instances where class assignments differ from the email that’s received.

Hespeler Public School has posted a three-page procedures list with a map.

(Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

Preston Public School says parents may receive a robo call with information.

Sir Adam Beck Public School says kindergarten families will get an email at 7 a.m. on the first day. Parents of kindergarteners who take the bus are encouraged to put their first name and last initial on their person. Bussed students will be brought to the classroom with the help of older students. Other students will meet staff on the back tarmac to find their class assignments. “It will be chaos but we hope it is joyful chaos,” the school said.

Stanley Park Public School says students can enter at any door and then go to the gym to be sorted into classrooms.

Wellesley Public School will have grade zones where students will be organized and can find out their teachers.