"Cyber incident" forces Springfield, Massachusetts, schools to close Tuesday

Schools in Springfield, Massachusetts, will be closed on Tuesday after what school leaders called a "cyber incident."

Superintendent of Schools Sonia Dinnall announced the closure Monday, saying that a cyber incident "interrupted the service of some systems necessary for essential school operations."

Dinnall said closing school will allow district officials to continue the "urgent address of the issue."

"We understand that an unexpected closure creates significant challenges and we appreciate the patience, flexibility and understanding of the entire Springfield Public Schools community as we work to address this incident and restore systems," Dinnall said in a statement.

All Springfield Public Schools staff members have been told to stay off district network systems until more is known, and students with district-issued laptops should do the same. Dinnall said the exact scope and size of the breach is still under investigation.

"The decision to close schools is not made lightly," Dinnall said. "The most important consideration will always be the health and safety of those inside our school buildings. We simply are not willing to risk any lapse in that."

The school district's central office will be open, but phone lines and other services may be impacted.

After-school activities are also canceled.

Dinnall said that closing schools will allow administrators to work on backup plans for nonessential technology tools, which include attendance reporting.

The district did not say how long it could take to address the cybersecurity concerns.

Springfield is the third-largest city in Massachusetts with a population of over 155,000 people.