Aurora schools open on 2-hour weather delay Tuesday; APS internet issues fixed

AURORA | Aurora Public Schools are opening on a two-hour delay Tuesday because of weather, but the district’s internet and phone crisis from last week has been resolved, according to APS officials.

“We are pleased to share that significant progress has been made, and we anticipate that internet and phone services will be restored to schools by the start of the school day,” APS spokesperson Corey Christiansen said Monday in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring a smooth return to normal operations.”

Due to cold weather Tuesday, all APS schools and Pickens Technical College were slated to operate on a two-hour delayed start.

Classes were disrupted, delayed and some programs were canceled after what school officials described as an internet security breach prompted the district to shut down its internal network, which is the nexus for its internet-based phone system.

Citing a districtwide internet security attack, Aurora Public Schools officials delayed the start of schools across the district part of the week as technicians worked to restore phones and internet access.

The event raised concerns among teachers and others that off-line security cameras, operated through the disrupted district network, caused grave security risks.

Officials said the schools remained safe for students and staff, despite the lack of phone and internet service.

The “Public address (Intercom) systems continue to remain fully operational at all schools for on-site communication,” Christiansen said. 

He said school security officers and dispatchers were inside schools as well.

“While our security camera system is not fully functional, we do have camera access for critical spots in buildings,” Christiansen said. “Emergency response systems, secure doors, staff presence, security dispatch, campus security officers and school resource officers.”

The delayed start was due primarily to teachers having to essentially redraw lesson plans, often based on access to internet services.

The outage began early last week when district computer and phone network employees noticed “suspicious activity within our network early Monday morning,” and the network system was immediately shut down, Christiansen said.

“As a precaution, we worked quickly to protect our systems, and at this time, we continue to work to bring back our systems and restore our technology infrastructure,” he said last week.

It was unclear Tuesday what type of attack was detected, whether there would be lingering consequences and what the district would do to prevent a similar attack.

The district uses a Voice Over Internet Phone system, officials said. Employees were still able to access voice mail and other services through mobile phone apps issued to teachers and employees.

“We greatly appreciate our community’s continued patience and understanding as we work through these challenges,” Christiansen said. “We are committed to ensuring a smooth return to normal operations.”