Summer at Evanston Township High School just hit an unexpected pause. A ransomware attack on the district’s computer systems forced Evanston Township High School to cancel all summer school classes, sports camps and on‑campus activities for Monday and Tuesday, pulling the plug on just about everything that needed internet or phones to function.
The Sunday attack took down internet access, disrupted phone lines, and knocked out several online tools staff and families rely on. District leaders say they activated their incident‑response plan, called in outside specialists and started working through the mess.
In a notice on its website, Evanston Township High School District 202 said the incident “disrupted access to systems, internet services and computer infrastructure” and confirmed it has engaged cyber‑breach attorneys and forensic experts to figure out what information, if any, may have been accessed. Officials say they are pushing to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
According to NBC Chicago, the district canceled all scheduled summer classes and activities for both Monday and Tuesday and is cooperating with the FBI as investigators dig into the attack. The full scope of the damage is still unclear.
In the meantime, the district is warning families that phone systems may not work, staff may have only limited access to email, and students and parents could be locked out of the Home Access Center and other online resources until systems are back up. Schools and community programs that planned to use the ETHS campus are being told to double‑check official updates before heading over.
Why schools are targeted
Federal cybersecurity officials say K‑12 districts are particularly appealing to ransomware groups because they hold large amounts of personally identifiable information and often have limited IT budgets and staffing to defend it. To help districts prepare for and respond to these incidents, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency offers K‑12‑specific resources, mitigation guidance, recovery checklists and reporting contacts. CISA
What families should do now
Federal education officials advise families to closely follow official district communications, ignore suspicious emails or texts that may try to exploit the confusion and keep any important records backed up offline while systems are unstable. The U.S. Department of Education also provides guidance on K‑12 cybersecurity and steps families and districts can take after a breach. U.S. Department of Education
District leaders say they will post regular updates to the ETHS website and on the district’s social media channels, as noted by NBC Chicago, and are urging families to rely on those official notices for the latest information. This story will be updated as officials release more details.
