BURIEN, Wash. — Teachers at Highline School District may finally get the answers they have been asking for when it comes to internet and computer access restoration.
At the district's Oct. 2 board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran addressed the ongoing struggles, inciting a glimmer of hope after mounting pressure from teachers.
He said the investigation into a hacker is ongoing but that he plans to send staff and families an update sometime on Thursday, Oct. 3. He said the memo will come with "a timeline that will share more about how and when we will be getting back online.”
Duran added, "I do know it’s taken a toll on our educators, our students, and all of us. And so I'm really hopeful that we’ll be able to get back online soon, so please stay tuned for that information tomorrow. I think it will bring some good news for us as a community."
Due to a breach last month on their network systems, thousands of students and staff have had no access to their district-issued computers or internet in their first month of school. The decision was made as a protective measure while investigators learned more about their cybersecurity.
A teacher at Highline shared with KING 5 Sunday about the long hours that have come with recreating lesson plans from scratch, with no clear end in sight.
The sentiment was echoed by Ben Folgers, a Mount Rainier High School teacher, at Wednesday's board meeting.
During public testimony, Folgers said, "Your staff needs you to stop acting like we’re not in another unprecedented situation."
Jeb Binns, the president of the teachers' union Highline Education Association, also publicly testified. He said, "It's been a hard 26 days. Our educators have had to reimagine education twice in the last five years... they’re tired, they’re teaching their butts off.”
Folgers said the impacts have been far and wide.
"As of right now, there is no plan for our students in credit recovery, no plan for computer science classes, and no plans for our counselors working their butts off to make schedules by hand," Folgers said.
The district said the hack did not involve the physical safety of their facilities or students.