Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The phase two reopening within the Buffalo Public Schools will resume Monday following a week-long delay after a ransomware attack on school technology systems forced a pause.
Grades 3, 4, 9 and 11 will be invited to return to class beginning Monday, joining Pre-k, grades 1, 2 and 12 as well as high needs students.
The resumption of the phase two reopening is pending the continued stability of district technology systems that were forced offline by the ransomware attack.
All grades will remain remote learning for Thursday and Friday as the ransomware recovery and investigation continues.
Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash provided a high level update on the ransomware event, saying he was keeping the information general in nature due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation. "This is a criminal investigation and we are probably being watched," Cash said.
District Chief Technology Officer Myra Burden reported to the board that most of the critical systems for the operation of the district have been restored. "The network infrastructure is considered green," Burden said.
Burden noted professional and expert partners are being utilized to continue the extensive recovery from the ransomware event and noted complete recovery will be an extensive effort. "This is a marathon, not a sprint."
Cash said ransomware attacks on school districts are not rare, stating there were more than 1,000 in recent years. "To attack a school district is very cheap," said Cash as he noted that the cost of recovering from a ransomware event is 'extraordinary'.
No date for phase three of reopening was given during the meeting.
With recent national discussions about possibly changing social distancing guidelines from six feet to three, board member Larry Scott asked for an update on the issue as the district moves toward increasing the population inside schools. District Chief of Staff Dr. Darren Brown-Hall said the issue was something the district and superintendent were still reviewing and there was no specific update.
