ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — Francis Howell confirmed Wednesday that it was the victim of a cyberattack that resulted in the district opting for remote learning on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In a letter to parents Wednesday afternoon, Superintendent Kenneth Roumpos said in-person classes would resume on Thursday. Roumpos said the district is still dealing with the effects of the cyberattack, and there would be no internet in the school buildings on for the rest of the week.
"We have confirmed that we were the victim of a cyberattack wherein malware was used to encrypt certain systems," the letter said. "We notified federal law enforcement and engaged third-party computer specialists to investigate the source of the attack and confirm any impact on our systems and information."
The letter to parents said the decision to use remote learning was due to security and safety concerns. In the days since the attack, the district has been working to confirm safety systems like exterior door intercoms, fire alarms, and key fobs were working correctly.
Internet outages are not the only issues students, staff and families may experience.
"While we have confirmed the operation of systems necessary to provide a safe learning environment, please be aware that District email and landline phone systems may experience delays or intermittent outages while the restoration process continues," the letter said.
The full letter sent to Francis Howell parents is as follows:
FHSD Families and Staff:
All FHSD schools will re-open for in-person learning on Thursday, February 22. All early childhood centers, Vacation Station, and other programs will operate as scheduled moving forward.
AN UPDATE ON THE NETWORK DISRUPTION
As reported on Monday, the District recently observed unexpected activity within our network that disrupted the operability of certain computer systems. We have confirmed that we were the victim of a cyber-attack wherein malware was used to encrypt certain systems. We notified federal law enforcement and engaged third-party computer specialists to investigate the source of the attack and confirm any impact on our systems and information.
STEPS TAKEN TO ENSURE A SAFE RETURN TO SCHOOL
I want to reiterate that the decision to utilize AMI days this week was less about teaching without technology and more about ensuring that we could keep all students safe and healthy while in our care. Over the last 48 hours, we have been working to check and confirm safety systems such as key fobs, building intercoms, exterior door intercoms, fire alarms, HVAC systems and the like, as well as ensuring that all schools have access to emergency contact information, bus routes, IEP and 504 plans, student medical plans and other information necessary to safely hold in-person learning. Though our schools will not have internet access for instructional purposes for at least the remainder of the week, we are confident that we have the appropriate workarounds in place to keep our buildings secure, our students and staff safe, and our families informed. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to appropriately test each of these critical systems over the last two days.
While we have confirmed the operation of systems necessary to provide a safe learning environment, please be aware that District email and landline phone systems may experience delays or intermittent outages while the restoration process continues. We ask for your continued patience when contacting staff or awaiting replies.
GRATITUDE FOR THE #ONEHOWELL COMMUNITY
I would like to humbly thank our parents/guardians, staff, students and the broader FHSD community for their patience and understanding as we worked to ensure the operation of all systems necessary to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff. The outpouring of support from many individuals and organizations in our community (libraries, churches, day camps, fellow parents offering childcare and so many other examples) is a true testament to the #OneHowell spirit.
Thank you,
Dr. Kenneth Roumpos
Superintendent