Pascagoula-Gautier School District

The Pascagoula‑Gautier School District (PGSD) is a public school district located in the United States, with its headquarters in the Pascagoula‑Gautier area of Mississippi. It provides K‑12 education to students residing in the cities of Pascagoula and Gautier and surrounding communities. The district offers a range of academic programs, including core curriculum subjects, special education services, and extracurricular activities such as athletics and the arts. As a publicly funded entity, PGSD receives financial support from local property taxes, state appropriations, and federal grants. Its schools are organized into elementary, middle, and high school levels, each administered by principals and teaching staff. The district’s primary mission is to deliver instruction that meets Mississippi state educational standards while preparing students for college and career pathways.

PGSD is governed by an elected school board that sets policy, approves budgets, and oversees the superintendent who manages day‑to‑day operations. The district operates under the regulatory framework of the Mississippi Department of Education, which establishes accountability measures and curriculum guidelines. A notable event in the district’s recent history was a ransomware attack on October 20, 2020, carried out by the DoppelPaymer cybercrime group. The attack compromised a server containing student information (names, contact details, grades, disciplinary records) and employee data that included Social Security numbers, salary, and benefits information. Although investigators could not confirm whether data was exfiltrated, the attackers later released the files publicly, exposing sensitive personal information for thousands of students and staff. Despite the breach, the district reported that financial and nutrition records remained secure and that no ransom was paid to the attackers.