Amherst-Pelham School District

Pelham School District, also known as Amherst‑Pelham School District, is a public school district located in the United States of America. The district provides educational services to students in its community, supporting instruction through the use of digital tools such as Chromebooks and Google Drive. Teachers rely on email and online platforms for communication and lesson delivery, while students use Chromebooks for classroom activities and assignments. The district’s infrastructure includes computers, phone lines, and email systems that are integral to daily operations. When these systems are disrupted, as seen in a recent cyberattack, the district must shift to offline instruction while maintaining continuity of learning. The district maintains an incident response plan to address such disruptions and protect its technology environment.

On March 13, 2025, the district reported a cyberattack that disabled its computers, phone lines, and email, forcing officials to activate their incident response plan and go offline. During the disruption, students were unable to access their Chromebooks and teachers could not use Google Drive or email, yet instruction continued in an offline format. A cybersecurity expert noted that schools are often targeted because student data is typically clean and unused, highlighting the sector’s attractiveness to cybercriminals. District officials stated that it was still too early to determine whether any personal information of staff or students had been compromised. The incident underscores the importance of cybersecurity preparedness within the education sector, particularly for districts that rely heavily on cloud‑based tools and mobile devices. Officials continue to assess the impact and work toward restoring normal operations while safeguarding sensitive information.