CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Cabarrus County Schools are among school districts nationwide impacted by a data breach involving Canvas, North Carolina’s state-approved learning management system.
Officials indicate that hackers may have gained access to some information connected to school accounts.
The breach is the second major incident to affect these local school systems recently, following a data breach involving PowerSchool in December 2024. The Canvas system is used by teachers to post classwork and lessons.
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The incident marks a new breach for the districts, which had previously dealt with a significant data breach affecting PowerSchool, a provider of data services to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and other educational institutions.
Cabarrus County Schools sent notices to parents, informing them of the breach and stating that the incident appeared to be nationwide.
The school system also reported that the breach was contained and the platform is now secure.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also notified parents, confirming that while some personal information may have been accessed, there is no indication that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers, or financial information were involved at this time.
Local parents expressed their frustration with the repeated security incidents.
Mike Phelps, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools parent, stated, “Obviously, I’d prefer if it stopped happening.”Darlene Dierkes, another Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools parent, shared her concerns regarding the nature of the breach.
“We’re always monitoring and looking out for scams, but it’s definitely more concerning when it’s your children’s information,” Dierkes said.
Dr. Bill Chu, a UNCC cybersecurity expert, offered his perspective on the situation. “If I had kids there, I would be very frustrated as well,” Dr. Chu said.
He noted that such incidents are not uncommon, adding, “This is unfortunately not an uncommon problem; we’ve all suffered through a data breach.”
Despite the breach being reportedly contained, Chu advised parents against complacency. He urged vigilance, stating, “Really be vigilant, in the case of parents looking for any signs that your identity might be stolen.”
Parents in both Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Cabarrus County Schools have received notifications regarding the breach.