WESTFIELD Public Schools in New Jersey experienced a district-wide network outage during the first week of the new school year, initially attributed to equipment failure before officials said the cause remained under investigation. The district later acknowledged that the disruption affected internet and Wi‑Fi access, online instructional tools, clocks, telephone lines, and the student information system, including parent portals, attendance recording, and gradebook access.
Despite the technical issues, schools remained open and emergency communications continued to function, with teachers using printed materials and non-network activities to maintain lessons.
Evidence suggesting a ransomware incident emerged when the INC Ransom group added the district to its leak site, posting two screenshots as proof of claims and indicating that district files or servers had been encrypted. The article notes that the outage disrupted essential services and classroom operations across all district schools and offices, and that the situation prompted a public investigation into the cause.
The district’s handling of the situation—keeping classrooms open and continuing emergency communications while assessing potential cyber incidents—highlights the operational impact and the importance of alternative instructional methods during outages.