Upper Perkiomen School Board President Melanie Cunningham confirmed that the district was the victim of a cyberattack six months ago. During last week's school board meeting, she said the letters recently received by residents, former employees and former students, from a company that specializes in fraud assistance and remediation services, were legitimate.

            Cunningham explained that administrators made the determination its network had been impacted after identifying suspicious activity on March 12. She said the district's technology team immediately launched an investigation, working with subject-matter experts to identify the scope of the attack.

            During the Sept. 12 regular meeting, the board president said that only individuals whose information was present in the compromised files received a letter from Cyberscout. After the meeting, Cunningham said she did not know how many letters were mailed out.

            The district alerted those impacted last month following a six-month investigation. The board president did not provide a specific reason as to why certain people's information was exposed. Cunningham pointed out that the district has 3,000 students annually and hundreds of employees. Additionally, hundreds of users have accessed the district's website over the years, and administrators interact with municipal, county and state governments.

            The members approved an action item creating a dual enrollment program with Montgomery County Community College. Eligible students can earn college credits that may also fulfill certain high school graduation requirements with approval from the high school, according to information attached to the meeting agenda. Dual enrollment students can complete their degrees during high school, continue to degree completion at MCCC after high school, or transfer their MCCC credits to a four-year college or university.

            It states that to be eligible, students must be in good academic standing with a high school 3.0 or higher grade point average and meet the prerequisites for the classes they wish to take. Students may be registered for up to two courses per term.

            In personnel news, the members voted to accept the retirement of Gisele McCabe, the administrative assistant to the superintendent, effective Oct. 26. McCabe worked in the position since March 2004 after being hired by Superintendent Anita Dutton.

            The board also approved the resignations of Danielle Devine, a cafeteria/ playground aide, and DeShaun Newland, a paraprofessional.

            The members approved a leave of absence for Melissa Smith through Nov. 14, Christine Dowd through Dec. 31 and intermittent leave for Stephanie Diehl.

            They also approved the appointment of two professional employees for the current school year: Emily Clements, as a long-term substitute teacher at Hereford Elementary and Stephanie Jakovac as an English as a Second Language teacher.