Incident FAQs Highline Public Schools

pContact UsppMondayFriday 730 am 430 pmppContact UsppContact UsppYou are now leaving the Highline website and will be redirected to a thirdparty application or website This site may have advertisements or other content not necessarily endorsed or approved by Highline Public Schools ppUpdated Thursday October 17 at 506 pmppWe know you may have questions Please see a list of frequently asked questions and answers belowppThank you for your continued patience and understanding ppThese FAQs were updated prior to October 2 Beginning October 3 FAQs will be timestamped as they are added or updated ppOn September 7 Highline identified evidence of unauthorized activity on its network In response a thirdparty cybersecurity forensic specialist was engaged and an investigation was launched which confirmed that the unauthorized activity was a form of ransomware   ppWe notified the FBI of this activity and we are working to support their investigation Due to the nature of the investigation we cannot comment on any potential law enforcement investigation at this time   ppThis incident involved our digital network and not the physical safety of our students or facilities Student safety measures remain in place ppThis incident involved our digital network and not the physical safety of our facilities Student safety measures remain in placeppWe are working to rebuild our network systems Beginning the week of October 14 technology services staff prompted all staff and students to update their network passwords Additionally we are reimaging all districtprovided Windows devices We expect to restore access to several of our network tools during the week of October 14 We are prioritizing access to tools that are authenticated through ClassLink ppThis investigation is ongoing and we cannot comment furtherppWe detected the activity on September 7 and our investigation is ongoingppYes we can confirm this was a ransomware event We are working with the FBI as part of the ongoing investigation ppHighlines investigation into this incident is ongoing Part of the investigation involves determining the scope of data if any potentially involved ppWe are preemptively providing all Highline employees with free credit monitoring for one year We have chosen to provide staff with this service as a precaution and accommodation To request a complimentary 12month credit and identity monitoring please contact benefitshighlineschoolsorg 2066313008 or visit the Human Resources Department at CABN If emailing please include credit monitoring in the subject line and include your employee ID and personal email address   ppIf this investigation determines that personal data was exposed because of this incident we will notify individuals in writing following applicable law ppWe are preemptively providing all Highline employees with free credit monitoring for one year We have chosen to provide staff with this service as a precaution and accommodation To request a complimentary 12month credit and identity monitoring please contact benefitshighlineschoolsorg 2066313008 or visit the Human Resources Department at CABN If emailing please include credit monitoring in the subject line and include your employee ID and personal email address ppTo protect the integrity of our environment we do not disclose the security measures protecting our network  ppWe are actively working to restore and secure our network systems Starting the week of October 14 all districtprovided Windows devices began to be reimaged and staff and students were be prompted by technology services staff to update their passwords We are prioritizing security throughout this process and will gradually restore access to tools that are authenticated through ClassLink including Canvas and Google Drive ppBelow is a timeline outlining when technicians will be at each site next week Principals are responsible for identifying a location on campus that can support the reimage process and communicating your schools plan with your staff We have provided a template message to support this communication In addition to sharing this via email please also distribute this communication in an analog method that best supports your staff  ppTo help the reimaging and password process go smoothly staff should not interrupt the technicians with nonrelated support requests as their time at each site Is limited Their primary and only responsibility is to reimage devices If staff have questions please direct them to review this FAQ webpage ppMonday October 14 ppTuesday October 15 ppWednesday October 16 ppThursday October 17 ppFriday October 18 ppAll Day Tyee CTE Labs and other CTE Labs as needed PSSC Student Devices  ppStarting the week of October 14 we began to restore access to some tools and services A schedule was shared in the WLB on October 11 and can be found in an above FAQ What is the timeline for staff Windows device reimaging and password resetppWhile our goal is to complete the reimage process for staff at all sites by the end of the day on Friday October 18 we appreciate your patience and understanding as this is an aggressive timeline ppOnce devices are reimaged and passwords are reset we will also have access to several of our network tools and the internet We are prioritizing access to tools that are authenticated through ClassLink The tools that will be available starting the week of October 14 include  ppAs we work to rebuild our network systems and come back online there are two important steps that need to happen firstppTechnology staff prompted all staff to update their network passwords beginning the week of October 14 We also began to reimage all districtprovided Windows devices A team of technicians will visit school sites to collect staff devices reimage and redistribute devices A schedule was shared in the WLB on October 11 and can be found in an above FAQ What is the timeline for staff Windows device reimaging and password resetppStudents who use Chromebooks will be prompted to reset their passwords at a later date We are working on a plan and will share more details in future communications ppStarting the week of October 14 all staff and students were prompted to update their passwords by technology staff We also began to restore access to some tools and services A schedule was shared in the WLB on October 11 and can be found in an above FAQ What is the timeline for staff Windows device reimaging and password resetppEach school site will have a designated location for checking devices in and out which will be communicated by your principal    ppTechnicians will reimage or review desktops and provide further instructions as needed ppStudents who use Chromebooks will be prompted to reset their passwords at a later date We are working on a plan and will share more details in future communications ppAll passwords must be at least 12 characters in length and include at least one uppercase letter one lowercase letter one number and one special character symbol that is not a letter or number Passwords should not contain three or more consecutive letters of your name or username  ppWhen creating a strong password consider the following  ppConsider using a passphrase which is a series of two or three random unrelated words This can help create a password that is both memorable and secure Example P0pc0rn Fow3r Such ppTechnicians will visit each school and department site starting the week of October 14 to collect reimage and return all districtprovided Windows devices A schedule was shared in the WLB on October 11 and can be found in an above FAQ What is the timeline for staff Windows device reimaging and password resetppStaff will drop off their device during their planning period If their planning period does not overlap with the schools technician window they can drop it off before Weekly Leadership or after school depending on your technicians availability The checkin process is expected to take 1015 minutes ppThe reimage process will not retain files saved on your desktop We recognize some staff use their desktops for file storage and apologize for the loss of some files Do not turn on your computer or attempt to retain any files saved on your desktop prior to the reimage processthis could compromise our investigation and efforts to restore access Files saved in OneDrive and Google will be available ppOnce staff reimage their devices and reset their passwords they will have access to several of our digital tools and applications The DT team is working hard to open access to more tools in the coming days and weeks If you dont see the tool that you are used to know that we are working to get tools available as soon as we can  ppBelow is a list of tools available to staff   ppStaff do not currently have access to files on the HDrive and GDrive DT is working on a plan More information will be shared in future communication  ppStaff do not currently have access to the VPN Global Protect   ppOn Monday October 21 there will be a forced password reset applied to staff accounts that have not reset their passwords  ppStaff who missed the reimaging and password reset process show open an IQ Help Ticket ppStaff should no longer use OpenAir WiFi Once Windows devices are reimaged they will automatically connect to a new WiFi network called HPSStaff  ppWe will update districtissued cell phones to connect to the new WiFi Personal devices are not allowed on the internet network at this time   ppPrinting is not currently available We are working on getting our printers back online In the meantime please save files to a thumb drive and print directly from a printer  ppAs staff transition back online we have information to share with you about the Windows update  ppIn most cases devices were upgraded to Windows 11 The difference between Windows 10 and 11 is mostly cosmetic Here are resources to help you with this transition   ppFor some of our older devices there may be a necessary software update after it is powered back on Please do not shut off your device while this update is running   ppHere are resources to help you with this transition   pp ppIf you see an image on the bottom right of your screen that says Windows is not Licensed this notification is not true and will eventually be corrected ppPrior to the cyber incident staff had the ability to install applications to their device Moving forward staff will only have access to install approved applications which can be found in the Company Portal This is a cyber security best practice   ppYou may create your own desktop shortcuts and personalize your device   ppIf using a docking station that is directly connected to the internet network not using WiFi it may seem like your network connection stopped working or you cannot log in Unplug the network cable from the docking station until further notice You can continue to use the docking station to connect to screens etc   pp ppParents and students who have already activated their ParentVUE accounts can still access ParentVUE and StudentVUE and we encourage parents to log in to ensure their information is up to date However if a parents or students account has not been activated they will need to wait until the system is fully restored to receive an activation code  ppParents and secondary students can still access ParentSquare and StudentSquare If parents and students have not activated their account we encourage them to download the mobile app and subscribe to text message notifications in their account settings  ppThis incident involved our digital network and not the physical safety of our facilities Student safety measures remain in placeppYes we are contacting parents daily if a student is absent from school ppInternet access in our schools was not available when we returned to school Students and staff were not able to use their districtprovided desktops laptops and Chromebooks until further notice Because of this some of our routines may have been delayedppFor example parents will still be contacted if their student is absent from school but the notification might be delayed Transportation may take longer as paper copies of routes to pick up and drop off students are being used  ppStudents should not use their districtissued Chromebooks or laptops until further noticeppStudents who use Chromebooks will be prompted to reset their passwords at a later date We are working on a plan and will share more details in future communications ppWhen passwords are updated students will regain access to their devices  ppAll passwords should be at least 12 characters in length and must contain at least one uppercase lowercase special case and number character Passwords should not contain three or more consecutive letters of your name or username Considerations for strong passwords also include   ppThe YMCA City of Burien City of SeaTac and Right to Schools are operating for before and after school care The YMCA operates at Des Moines Hazel Valley Midway and North Hill elementary schools The City of Burien operates at Cedarhurst Elementary School The City of SeaTac operates at Bow Lake Right at Schools operations at Gregory Heights Marvista Mount View and Shorewood elementary schools  ppOnce all other intake information is complete and submitted in FinalForms by a parentguardian then students may contact their school athletics coordinator to complete the final student forms by paperppAt this time Connection Center meetings scheduled virtually will be over the phoneppSince the iPad is the students only mode of communication they can use these devices Staff are required to report any activity that is out of the ordinary to the Digital Transformation Department immediately ppInDistrict Transfers are on hold until further notice NonResident Student Choice Transfer Requests attending Highline as a nonresident submitted after August 9th are automatically denied Choice Transfer releases residents leaving Highline School District are being processed as quickly as possibleppppFamilies can enroll in Highline Public Schools online through ParentVUE Visit our enrollment webpage for detailsppNote Expect processing delays after submissionppIf you didnt upload required documents please contact the school If you are experiencing housing instability reach out to the school to learn more about McKinney Vento services Eligible students can enroll without delay Providing this information helps prioritize enrollmentpp ppTo prepare for the reopening certificated staff have the option to work for two hours on an extra service contract on Wednesday September 11 to plan for revised instruction Please communicate with your supervisor if you plan to work These hours are optional ppSchool leaders should track the hours teachers work on September 11 Please have teachers sign in and out on a paper in the office and retain the information until it is collected by central office staff who will process it  ppThis is a max of 2 hours and only for Wednesday  If teachers came in on Monday or Tuesday that was their choice  Hours cannot be subbed out for another day ppPCT time on Friday will be dedicated to planningppSchools will use paper signin sheets for visitors to check in and out Please ensure the following information is tracked visitors name date reason for visit eg substitute parent and time inout Central office will follow the same process at the front desk School leaders should use their discretion when determining whether they can accommodate visitors or volunteers during this time ppAs with every school year we anticipate making staffing adjustments However unlike previous years adjustments will not be based on the 4day count and will occur later The mitigation timeline will also be delayed We will make decisions regarding staffing after we have moved past this acute time period Please note that attendance still needs to be taken on day 4 as current enrollment numbers are higher than projected ppAll schools will receive attendance paper lists that they can use to take attendance Any new students to school or class will have to be hand entered on the paper list These lists will be collected and data entered into Synergy separately    ppWe ask elementary schools to take attendance in the morning per usual Secondary schools should take attendance in first and second period  Programs with morning and afternoon sessions should take attendance at the start of both sessions pp ppppStudent schedule changes be submitted to the IMS by fax at 2066317643 or dropped off to Room 7 at Woodside  pp ppPrinted class or attendance lists will include primary contact information Principals and assistant principals can also access emergency contact details through the Synergy AdminVUE app on their districtprovided cell phones To ensure staff contact information is uptodate place a clipboard or folder in the office for staff to update their details Once systems are restored remind staff to update their information in Employee Online ppStaff in the Student Learning Division are delivering printed curriculum for targeted subject areas to each school on Wednesday September 11 for teachers to use Principals have access guidance provided on September 10 and are expected to share schoolspecific guidance to staff  ppThe bell and intercom systems are now working Our phone system is working so long as phones are not unplugged Please do not unplug phones ppppSchools are receiving a paper packet to support shortterm suspensions This packet includes the followingppThese are the things that should be attached when sending notification to a parentfamily about a shortterm suspension We are working to get a shortterm suspension notice template in Spanish We are also working to get schools packets for longterm suspension and expulsionppIf it is a leave replacement situation no If it is a short 13 day absence for which the sub was prearranged yes ppIf yes the teacher will need to inform the sub office who was prearranged to cover the positionppSubstitute information will be communicated with OMs by phone Substitute information will be delivered to sites Copies can be made and distributed to teachers 
 ppThe Friday September 20 CPR class is canceled and will be rescheduled for another day and timeppppWith limited access to systems making future travel plans will be extremely challenging We encourage waiting until system access is restored before making further travel plansppIf you already have a fully approved travel purchase order and simply need access to a travel PCard email Purchasing traceydavidhighlineschoolsorg for next stepsppIf the travel is imminent and essential a Cabinet member must first review the travel and email Purchasing for special assistance traceydavidhighlineschoolsorg Once reviewed and forwarded by a Cabinet member Purchasing will guide the travel organizer through necessary steps and documentation for the travel to be approvedppPlease note For all travel costs travelers must pay up front using a personal credit card including hotel rentals meals etc and seek reimbursement after systems have been fully restored Please expect a long delay in reimbursements ppDue to the network outage we do not have the ability to centrally control heat at most of our school sites However we can manually control heat at each site Heat is currently functioning and if staff have a specific question or concern they can contact the Facilities Department who will send a staff member out to the school to reviewppOffice staff such as office managers and bookkeepers may use districtissued cell phones provided to school administrators for essential workrelated tasks These tasks includeppPlease coordinate use of the device strategically as administrators also need it for their ongoing workppStarting October 14 all staff and students are required to reset their network passwords as part of our security restoration process Technology staff will prompt this password reset Please see the restoration process timeline in the Network Restoration FAQs section aboveppBeginning the week of October 14 technology staff were prompted to update their network password All passwords should be at least 12 characters in length and must contain at least one uppercase lowercase special case and number character Passwords should not contain three or more consecutive letters of your name or username Considerations for strong passwords also include   ppStaff must keep their districtissued devices on campus plugged in and turned on    ppStarting the week of October 14 a team of technicians began the process if reimaging all Windows devices After reimaging and password updates staff will be able to use their devices again Chromebooks and Apple devices will not need to be reimaged but passwords must still be updated ppA schedule was shared in the WLB on October 11 and can be found in the Network Restoration FAQs section Each school site will have a designated location for checking devices in and out which will be communicated by your principal   ppStaff will drop off their device during their planning period If their planning period does not overlap with the schools technician window they can drop it off before Weekly Leadership or after school depending on your technicians availability The checkin process is expected to take 1015 minutes ppBeginning the week of October 14 as systems come back online we expect access to Frontline to be restored soon after In the meantime staff who know the title and number of clock hours for completed courses may continue to selfreport these hours to OSPI ppPrometheans will be available for teachers and school staff to use Only tools that dont require a network connection will be accessible  ppUnless you have been given instructions to access specific tools you do not have access This includes ClassLink Google IEP Online and Synergy   ppBeginning the week of October 14 as systems come back online we expect access to be restored soon afterppAt this time Google Voice accounts should not be used ppYes ParentVUE is still accessible to parents who have activated their account StudentVUE is also accessible if students have activated their account ppStudents should not use their districtissued Chromebooks or laptops until further notice ppStudents who use Chromebooks will be prompted to reset their passwords at a later date We are working on a plan and will share more details in future communications ppWhen passwords are updated students will regain access to their devices  ppAll passwords should be at least 12 characters in length and must contain at least one uppercase lowercase special case and number character Passwords should not contain three or more consecutive letters of your name or username Considerations for strong passwords also include   pp ppAs part of the ongoing network restoration all staff are asked to stop using their districtissued computers and laptops until they have been reimaged and passwords have been reset starting the week of October 14 

Currently Office 365 including email the district website and ParentSquare are operational If you have a districtprovided cell phone you may continue using it to access email Principals and assistant principals can access AdminVUE on their districtprovided cell phones Additional tools such as ClassLink Google Drive and other services will begin to become available starting the week of October 14 ppWe recognize staff cannot currently access the trainings Staff will be given the opportunity to complete the trainings once they are accessibleppSince the iPad is the students only mode of communication they can use these devices Staff are required to report any activity that is out of the ordinary to the Digital Transformation Department immediately ppWe do not expect or encourage staff to use their personal devices to conduct work including laptops and mobile devices However while work devices are not accessible we recognize some staff will choose to use their personal devices to access email and conduct work For this reason we are sharing the following informationppHighline is not responsible for any damage to personal devices or repairs needed on personal devices Highline will not provide technology support for personal devices Highline will not pay for or reimburse for data usage or cost associated with personal devicesppYes staff members can access ParentSquare using their Highline Microsoft credentials While staff may not use districtissued devices to access ParentSquare they may use a personal device if they choose although this is not required If you need help sending a message to families please contact your school office staff first If the office staff does not have access let the Communications Office know and they can send the message for you You can share your message details via email at commofficehighlineschoolsorg through a Communications Request or by phone at 2066313002for urgent messaging ppThe reimage process will not retain files saved on your desktop We recognize some staff use their desktops for file storage and apologize for the loss of some files Do not turn on your computer or attempt to retain any files saved on your desktop prior to the reimage processthis could compromise our investigation and efforts to restore access Files saved in OneDrive and Google will be available ppThere will be two days at CABN that technicians will be available at CABN for reimaging and password reset process for staff who were absent during their window ppIf itinerant staff are scheduled to be at a school during their designated reimaging window they can have their device reimaged at that time If their schedule doesnt align they can get their device reimaged during one of the two makeup dates at CABN ppYes payroll is expected to be processed on time and employees should receive their paycheck on Monday September 30  ppppWe are working on identifying a plan for employees to access their paystubs We will update this FAQ once we have finalized the plan Please check back for more details ppOvertime submitted via extra service form or overtime form will be processed in September if it was received by Payroll before the cutoff date ppAny overtime submitted through Timecard Online will not be processed on the September paycheck but will be paid once employees regain access to Timecard OnlineppThere is no access to Timecard Online and timecards will not be approved this month Any leaves typically reported via Timecard Online will not be included in this paycheckppOnce employees regain access to Timecard Online we will ask timekeepers andor employees to enter leaves vacation sick time and personal days for the missed pay periods Payroll will retroactively adjust leave balances at that timeppYes if an extra service form was received by Payroll before September 10th you will receive payment in the September paycheckppPlease remember that leaves vacation cashout and anything normally reported via Timecard Online will not be included on this paycheck Leave balances may not calculate correctly for September For Human Resources related questions please contact the Human Resources department For Payroll related questions please contact the Payroll departmentppYou will receive your paycheck as you normally would ppTeamsters 1 Yes your salary increase will be included in the September paycheckppTeamsters 2 No the CBA has not been ratified so increases will not be included in the September paycheck You will receive the pay increase retroactively once the CBA has been ratified and the School Board has approved the contractppTeamsters 3 No the final salary schedule for Teamsters 3 was approved by the School Board at the September 4th meeting Increases were not entered into the system prior to the outage so you will receive increases retroactively once they are entered into the system ppHEA Yes salary increases will be included in the September paycheck The CBA and final salary schedule were approved at the July Board meeting ppProf Tech No salary schedules for Prof Tech positions have not been presented to the Board for approvalppNo the vacation overage cashout will not appear on the September paycheck It will be included on an upcoming paycheck ppSend to Payrollpp Include LOC and Object code leave out the other budget information it will be filled inppOne must have worked onsite to receive compensation This is because preparation is a professional responsibility The compensation is for the inconvenience of reporting onsite in order to be preparedppYes you can use your Pcard for purchasesppAt this time you cannot code your purchases in Works Please keep a log of all purchases and the correct budget to code in Works once systems are restored We will not sweep purchases until we can code to the correct budget in WorksppNot at this timeppIf you have the needed information yesppPeople scheduled for September 11 NEO will be rescheduled to September 18 Their start dates will be adjusted and vary depending upon the situation People who were interviewed andor recommended but not yet hired will be on pause until we get access to system Hiring managers may call candidate to notify them of delayppIf the candidates are already in our sub pool call x3060 to arrange for them to fill We will right it when up and running If not already in sub pool we cannot move forwardppBuildings may not tell applicants to come in and work unless HR has directed the principal to call and give that instructionppIf possible please hold on creating a new contract or service until systems are restored For urgent contracts please use a paper contract and route for signatures All documents used to create a purchase order must be included in the routing This includes the Contract Approval Form Certificate of Insurance when needed and the Contract Please deliver the completed packet to Tracey David for reviewppIf possible please hold on creating new purchase orders If urgent please contact Tracey David for guidance ppWe have methods to make payments to outside vendors Contact Tracey David in Accounts Payable for guidance ppppField trip requests may resume on October 1 for school day trips Schools were sent updated FT packets on 923 with instructions Please note Trips that require Safety Security approval require an in person appt with Lorrie Good for reviewapprovalppSack lunch requests must be submitted to Gloria Gonzalez in personppCompleted packets will need to be submitted in person to Jeni White or Marta Hood A twoweek notice in advance is required Please contact them to coordinateppThe overnight and nonschool day field trip process is still pending ppTransportation requests will need to be emailed or hand delivered to the transportation team until eTrips is back up Please note that transportation may limit the number of trips allowed per day More information to comeppAll schools reopened on Thursday September 12 for grades K12 Preschool students began school on Monday September 16 ppOur 202425 school calendar has eight emergency makeup days We will make up this weeks school closures on May 27 June 20 and June 23 The last day of school is now June 23  That date may change in the future if we have additional missed days of schoolppAthletics resumed on September 12 School clubs and activities will resume on a casebycase basis determined by school leaders ppField trips are paused for the remainder of the month with the exception of Maritime High Schools SMA courses and Waskowitzs 9th Grade Link Crew and Leadership Training Weekend ppSchool day field trips may resume in OctoberppContact UsppMondayFriday 730 am 430 pmp