ETHS cyberattack delays senior parking lottery registration
Evanston Township High School announced Monday that the cybersecurity attack it suffered this summer has also affected its parking lottery system, which allocates spaces on school property to eligible students.
“The student parking lottery process for the 2026-27 school year was delayed due to the recent cybersecurity incident,” the school said in a Facebook post. “As a result, ETHS will use a new, temporary application and permit allocation process.”
Only seniors are eligible for the lottery this year. Students must register through this web page by July 26, even if they have registered previously through the myETHS portal.
The cost of a student parking permit is $400. A discounted rate of $200 is available for students who qualify for financial assistance.
Students must have no unpaid fees or fines on their account, a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance to receive a parking pass.
Superintendent Marcus Campbell warned of impending back-to-school impacts from the cybersecurity attack in an email to families on July 16, preparing them for changes to “some of the tools, processes, and timelines our families and staff have come to expect.”
The school does not yet know exactly what data, if any, was accessed by the attackers. According to ETHS spokesperson Reine Hanna, though, license plate numbers for previously registered student vehicles were not breached.
Other impacts
The cybersecurity attack on June 7 impacted far more than just the parking lottery system, though. Initially, ETHS canceled all summer classes, sports camps and other on-campus activities for several days immediately following the event.
The attack compromised phone service at the school, as well, which remained down until June 26.
The Home Access Center, where students can review grades, remains down. Current students can instead access their transcripts for free by submitting a request through digital academic records platform Parchment, with an expected turnaround time of one to two business days.
Another issue that impacted spring 2026 semester grades has also been resolved, according to Hanna.
“The cybersecurity incident interrupted the transfer of updated grade information from district systems to Parchment. As a result, some transcripts temporarily did not include Semester 2 grades from the 2025-26 school year,” Hanna said. “This issue has now been addressed and transcripts have been updated to include Semester 2 grades.”
ETHS is also in the process of transitioning its online systems, including the Home Access Center, myETHS, the eSchoolPlus Family app, PowerSchool and RevTrak, to a new software, Infinite Campus.
“The district made the decision to transition to Infinite Campus at the end of the last school year, with an initial plan for a phased, two-year implementation,” Principal Quianna McNeal said in an email to families on July 17.
“Following the June 7 cybersecurity incident, we reevaluated that timeline,” McNeal continued. “Given the significant work that would have been required to rebuild and restore the eSchoolPlus server, and because the district had already decided to transition away from eSchoolPlus, we have determined that moving to Infinite Campus ahead of the new school year is the best path forward.”
ETHS plans to launch its Infinite Campus services in August.
