A data breach at a student information system is impacting North Carolina schools, including students and teachers.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction says the breach occurred when the credentials of a PowerSchool contract employee were compromised.
PowerSchool officials say the threat has been contained and that the compromised data was not shared and has been destroyed.
Officials with Beaufort County Schools said the information does include that of families and educators and the district will be contacting those affected by the end of January.
Duplin County Schools officials also said they will work alongside NCDPI and PowerSchool to ensure that all required notifications are conducted.
An analysis by the IT Department at Pitt County Schools shows it appears that no student's password, grades, or social security number was accessed by the hacker but they say other personally identifying information, including medical, discipline, and custody related alerts and contact information, was compromised.
Some Onslow County Schools student and teacher data was accessed in the breach, but officials say no student social security numbers were compromised.
Carteret County Schools officials say they currently use a system called Infinite Campus but previously used the compromised system, and the information of many students and staff members remains stored within PowerSchool's systems. The same is true at Craven and Hyde County Schools.
