Richmond Public Schools probes cyber incident, takes internet offline
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The gist
Richmond Public Schools is investigating a cybersecurity incident and temporarily took internet access offline as a precaution.
The disruption hits digital attendance, grading and testing for the district.
Background
Richmond Public Schools is a Virginia school district led by Superintendent Jason Kamras. On Oct. 21, 2026, officials said a cybersecurity incident was disrupting several operational systems and pulled internet access offline as a precaution, while saying student and staff safety were not affected. Employees reported a message on district-issued laptops warning of a possible data breach, and the district told families and staff not to connect devices to RPS networks until further notice.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026Richmond Public Schools officials investigate a cybersecurity incident disrupting several operational systems and temporarily take internet access offline as a precaution.
- Oct 21, 2026Multiple employees report a message on district-issued laptops warning of a potential data breach and threatening to publish allegedly stolen data unless the district contacts the senders.
- Oct 21, 2026In an afternoon update, the district says school will proceed as scheduled for the rest of the week and teachers should adjust lessons and activities as needed.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The district says the incident is not affecting the safety of students or staff and that it is working with outside cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to understand the full scope.
- Caution
- REA President Andrea Bryant says workers' concerns focus on keeping students and staff safe while navigating a total loss of the digital systems they rely on, from attendance to grading to projecting content.
Still unverified
A message on district-issued laptops claimed the network and sensitive information had been compromised and that allegedly stolen data would be published on a leak site unless the district contacted the senders; the district has not confirmed the claim. It is also unclear whether the entire district is operating under a 'restrictive movement' protocol reported at Huguenot High School.