Ransomware Attack Disrupted Evanston High School Operations
A June 2026 cyberattack forced a two-day closure and triggered a long-term transition to new management software.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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In June 2026, Evanston Township High School District 202 suffered a ransomware attack that disabled essential infrastructure, including phone lines and internet access. The district closed for two days, and telephone services remained offline for 16 days after the school reopened.
Why it matters
This incident forced a strategic pivot in the district's IT infrastructure to mitigate systemic vulnerabilities. The breach accelerated a shift in software platforms to bolster security after a series of recurring digital threats targeting local educational institutions.
Recovery required reimaging staff laptops and installing new antivirus agents across the fleet. The district also fully migrated from the PowerSchool platform to Infinite Campus following the breach.
The players
Evanston Township High School District 202
A public secondary school district that operates the school where the cyberattack occurred.
FBI
The federal law enforcement agency currently collaborating with the district to investigate the incident.
Superintendent Campbell
The district administrator who addressed the ongoing impact of the breach at a September 2026 meeting.
The details
The attack crippled the school's public address system and internet, necessitating a comprehensive reset of Google accounts for all faculty and students. Volunteers from the school's ChromeZone — a student-led technical support group — assisted in scrubbing malware remnants from hardware. To further harden the network, the district discontinued physical identification cards for the 2026-2027 school year.
Timeline
2020: Cybercriminals defrauded the district of $48,570.
2025: A PowerSchool data breach affected the neighboring Evanston/Skokie District 65.
June 2026: The ransomware attack occurred at Evanston Township High School.
June 10, 2026: The school reopened following safety system testing.
September 2026: Superintendent Campbell acknowledged the district's ongoing recovery efforts.
The Tech Race
The breach follows a regional trend of targeted digital attacks that also struck Evanston/Skokie District 65 during a 2025 PowerSchool data incident. District 202 is now attempting to modernize its security posture relative to these prior local failures.
Students and staff were required to reset their Google account credentials to restore secure access to school systems. The transition to the Infinite Campus software platform also marks a permanent change in how families access academic and administrative data.
The takeaway
The district's pivot to the Infinite Campus platform demonstrates a move toward consolidating security management to prevent future lapses. Residents should monitor district communications for updates on the ongoing investigation conducted by the FBI.
Further reading
For broader trends in safeguarding local networks, visit Cybersecurity.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Northwestern.
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