Families of Evanston Township High School students should expect new technology platforms, changed procedures, and phased-in services when the 2026-27 school year begins, Superintendent Dr. Marcus A. Campbell said in a letter published Wednesday, July 16.

The letter is the district's first concrete acknowledgment of how the June 7 ransomware attack will reshape daily operations into the fall. Campbell wrote that for "approximately one month" after the attack, ETHS could not access its core servers while cybersecurity specialists contained the breach and conducted forensic analysis.

"You will see new technology platforms, updated back-to-school procedures, and some services introduced in phases as restoration continues," Campbell wrote.

The district has not named the specific platforms being adopted or provided a timeline for full restoration. Campbell promised more details "in the weeks ahead."

What happened

The ransomware attack struck ETHS on Sunday, June 7, forcing the school to close Monday, June 8, and Tuesday, June 9. All summer school classes, sports camps, and on-campus activities were canceled during that period. Phone systems, staff email, district Google accounts, and the Home Access Center parent portal all went down.

Reine Hanna, ETHS District 202 director of communications, told ABC7 Chicago on June 8 that it was "the first time the district has experienced a situation like this." The district engaged external cybersecurity forensic experts and cyber breach attorneys, and the FBI joined the investigation.

By Thursday, June 12, summer school and camps had resumed on campus, according to the Evanston Roundtable, but restoration work continued. As of Wednesday, June 18, phone systems were still not functioning, Evanston Now reported. The attack also forced the relocation of an ACT exam from ETHS to Lane Tech in Chicago.

What's still unknown

Campbell's letter does not address whether student or family data was compromised in the breach. In June, the district said it was still working to determine what information may have been accessed. No ransom demand amount, whether a payment was made, or the identity of the attacker has been publicly disclosed.

What comes next

Campbell told families they should expect "new routines to learn, temporary workarounds, and, inevitably, things that don't go exactly as we hoped" when school resumes. He said the district would continue updating families through the fall.

The district said it will share practical guidance in the coming weeks as it finalizes which systems will be ready and which will roll out in phases.