UVALDE, Texas – After seeing students return to class this week following a ransomware attack on its network, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District updated its complications with air conditioning systems in some of its campuses this week.
The district closed all campuses last week after discovering ransomware in its servers, officials said in posts to the district’s Facebook page. On Friday, the district said no ransom was paid and systems were restored using backups.
Investigators identified and resolved the point of access used by attackers, the district said, noting the ransomware was not caused by “staff error.”
“To date, there’s no evidence of unauthorized access to sensitive or personal data,” the district said. “A continuing investigation is underway, and will take a few weeks.”
While classes resumed this week, some parents in the district reached out to KSAT on Monday with concerns about the air conditioning on some campuses.
A district spokesperson, in an email to KSAT on Tuesday evening, provided an update on recent A/C and network issues.
‘Longstanding issues’ at Uvalde High School
The spokesperson specified two air conditioning issues at Uvalde High School, including a “longstanding” issue in the school’s main building.
“A section of the building usually cooled by two rooftop units currently relies on one old unit that has developed a leak in a precarious location,” the statement reads.
If technicians cannot fix the issue, then the system will need to be replaced.
About six rooms in the building have been affected, with temperatures ranging from 77 to 80 degrees, according to the spokesperson. Teachers who chose to relocate to the library or cafeteria were provided with box fans.
The 1200 building on campus experienced an issue with a reverse valve, the spokesperson said, which was replaced and resolved the air conditioning issue.
Issues at Dalton Elementary School cafeteria
A minor issue at the Dalton Elementary School cafeteria was reported due to water backing up in a drain pan, according to the statement.
The spokesperson said the backup triggered a safety switch to turn off the air conditioning system. It has since been resolved.
Network and internet restoration continues
The spokesperson said several networking systems were restored to help bring students back to class following the ransomware attack.
External internet capabilities were restored Tuesday, but some teachers had to “adapt lesson plans,” the spokesperson said.
The district said it is continuing to validate the systems to ensure they are functional.
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