Springfield, MA Schools Hit by Severe Cyberattack, Forcing Multi-Day Closures Springfield, Massachusetts, is grappling with a major cyber incident that forced the closure of all public schools on Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, with potential extensions as officials work to contain the threat. The attack, classified as a "level 4" (severe) by Mayor Dominic Sarno, disrupted critical systems, including student health records, transportation, and food service data. District officials first detected "malicious traffic" on September 1 but only notified families on September 4. With email systems offline, communication has shifted to social media and text messages. The Springfield School Department’s Technology Director, Robert St. Lawrence, confirmed that staff activated a cyber incident response plan, focusing on containment, threat eradication, and eventual service restoration. Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall stated that teachers are implementing low-tech workarounds to continue instruction while systems remain inaccessible. Students and families have been advised not to use school-issued laptops to prevent further malware spread. Mayor Sarno clarified that the attack did not impact city government systems. The investigation remains ongoing, with no details released on the attack’s origin or scope.