O’FALLON, Mo. — Two weeks after a cyberattack destroyed the district’s computer systems, internet service has returned to Frances Howell’s school.
However, the source of the cyber attack is still unknown. A district spokesperson said: “We have no details to share at this time.”
“The kids still haven’t told us how it all started,” parent Jennifer Clark said in an interview. “I want to know about that, and I want to know what data was compromised.”
On Feb. 19, Superintendent Frances Howell directed the district’s approximately 17,000 students to learn from home due to “unforeseen activity” within the district’s network. Superintendent Kenneth Rumpos later announced that malware was used to encrypt certain systems.
Federal law enforcement and third-party computer experts were notified to investigate the cause of the attack and determine the impact on the school district’s systems and information.
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Meanwhile, last Thursday, students returned to school without internet.
Some students said classes continued almost normally.
“We usually work on paper, so it was pretty normal,” Francis Howell North student Harper Schneider said in an interview. “I couldn’t find anything.”
But other students, including Francis Howell High School student Isabella Duncan, said the past few weeks have been chaotic.
“The teachers had no idea what was going on, and neither did the students,” Duncan said.
Duncan said much of the teaching relies on technology, with some classes being taught mostly on laptops. Teachers had to scramble to make things work.
“I didn’t do anything for the first few days,” Duncan said. “Unless we had a class that involved a lot of paper, we just played games.”
For sophomore Makayla Clark, the past few weeks have been a welcome escape from screens.
Clark said there has been more interaction between students. And the classroom environment becomes “more comfortable.”
“I’ve noticed a lot less stress. I don’t get the headaches I often get from looking at screens,” Clark said.
Most teachers have had to work long hours to change lesson plans, said Anita Kuehner, president of the Francis Howell Education Association.
Kuehner said many teachers don’t have textbooks and are using online curriculum. Additionally, your Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be completed entirely online.
Teachers are “tired and stressed,” Kuehner said.
But the community rallied. The St. Charles City-County Library has waived printing fees for families in the district. Shepherd United Methodist Church provided free lunches to area families.
“I think the teachers in the district worked really hard to put everything together and do the best they could,” said Harry Harris, a parent and former school board candidate.
Francis Howell Schools’ computer systems were disrupted by a cyberattack, Superintendent Kenneth Rumpos said in a message to the district’s community Wednesday.
After a tumultuous month of student protests, national headlines and community outrage, the Francis Howell School District is considering revising the curriculum for its Black history and literature courses.
The Francis Howell School District will hold virtual classes Tuesday and Wednesday after “unexpected activity” disrupted the district’s computer network.
Thousands of students gathered outside the school, chanting “Black history is American history” and waving homemade protest signs.
“We have heart and we have fight. Our girls give it their all on the mat,” Francis Howell Central senior Stevie Lupo said.
