Chambersburg Area School District parents frustrated with schools lack of transparency

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Chambersburg Area School District (CASD) is having computer problems, so bad that they canceled classes for Wednesday.

CASD already canceled on Monday and Tuesday as well, and they are also asking everyone not to log onto their school accounts.

On Tuesday, Aug. 29, there was a school board meeting. During the meeting, parents were frustrated that the district wouldn’t say what is exactly going on.  

“I’m just wondering why we’re not saying what’s actually going on because I have friends that work in the school district and they say that the system got hacked,” said one parent during public comment.

No one from the Chambersburg School Board would confirm if the district got hacked.

They do say there’s a network disruption that’s affecting certain computer systems and they’re working with a third-party forensic specialist to figure it out.

“We are also actively investigating to determine whether any sensitive data may have been impacted. The privacy of the personnel and confidential information in our care are one of the highest priorities,” said school board president Dr. Mark Shur.  

Parents asked why they’re being told to stay out of Sapphire, the district’s portal and they wonder who’s been in that portal.

“If you go into the sapphire are my children’s names, their pictures, their address, my phone number is on there they know everything. This could be something that doesn’t just happen with Social Security numbers for giving credit card information. It could be pedophiles getting our address. They know what they look like. Every single student has their picture on this sapphire,” said a parent during public comment.

Parents also wonder what is preventing their kids from being in the classroom.

“The kids could go to school and the teachers could be creative. I don’t care if they just sit there and write a story or even a story or do something. But to keep in mind, stimulating, not sitting at home,” said another parent during public comment.

School board member Dr. Sherian Diller made this comment to parents.

“I really believe with all I heard that the difficulties we’re having right now, it is in the best interest to make sure we have everything in place so that when your children come in here that we know who they are, we know their health, their health needs, we know what busses they get on. We have all that information in front of us. It’s a very complex issue what we’re going through. So, if you could just hang in there for another, another day, you know, I feel certain that things are getting resolved and we can get the children back in school because that’s where they do belong and we all want them there,” said Diller.