Slate Valley will not pay ransom in cyberattack, board says

The Slate Valley school board voted against paying a ransom demand related to a cybersecurity incident, according to the district’s website.

Official response and confirmed impact

In a Tuesday announcement, Superintendent Brooke Olsen-Farrell said the incident began Sept. 3.

Olsen-Farrell first alerted district families that day, saying the district’s technology systems had been affected.

The district expected to lose internet access, including email, but its phone systems remained operational.

In Tuesday’s announcement, Olsen-Farrell said the district had received a ransom demand.

The board formalized its decision to decline payment at a meeting Monday night.

The district has not said what information may have been affected or whether any data was compromised.

Incident under investigation

Olsen-Farrell said officials would share accurate information as it becomes available while avoiding disclosures that could compromise the investigation or the district’s security and recovery efforts.