PowerSchool Settlement Deadline Is Approaching: Is Your Child Eligible?

If your child attended the Seattle, Bellevue or Peninsula school districts between 2021 and 2026, they may be eligible to be part of a recently settled $17.25 million class action lawsuit between PowerSchool Holdings LLC and the Board of Education of the City of Chicago. 

The lawsuit alleges that PowerSchool Holdings LLC tracked “students’ confidential and sensitive communications while using education technology products offered by Hobsons and, later PowerSchool, including a product commonly referred to as Naviance,” underscoring a lack of student or parent consent to being tracked. 

Potentially affected students logged into the platform between Aug. 18, 2021 and Jan. 23, 2026. The deadline to file is July 27.

Is my student eligible?

Wondering if your student is part of the class action suit? If, like me, you received an easily overlooked email in your inbox within the past few months, and been prompted with an equally easy-to-overlook reminder because the deadline to be included is fast approaching, the answer is “yes.”

The ever-so-compelling email subject line is: Legal Notice of Class Action Settlement — something busy parents are likely to archive or delete without a second thought. If it’s not there, check your Spam folder. That’s where our content editor found hers. 

One of many lawsuits

This settlement resolves one of many claims against the company currently moving through the courts. Seattle mom and author Emily Cherkin is leading a class action lawsuit against PowerSchool, claiming the company collected and profited from sensitive student data without proper consent. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also filed a lawsuit against PowerSchool LLC alleging that 880,000 student and educator records were compromised in a data breach.     

How do I join the lawsuit?

If you’re interested in filing, you can do so online or via mail. There is no fee to file. Here’s what you need to do:

• To submit the form online, go through the settlement website. It only takes a few minutes to submit. 
• You will need your student’s class member ID number (included in the email) and the email address they used to log on to the platforms during the period listed in the lawsuit.
• Parents can also mail a completed claim form to Kroll, the settlement administrator. It must be postmarked by the deadline to be included.
• You can choose to receive your payment by check, PayPal, Venmo or Zelle.

What can you expect as a payout? Not much, depending on how many apply. According to the attorney, students are estimated to receive about $50. 

If you take no action, you “won’t get a share of the settlement benefits and will give up your rights to sue the Defendants about the claims in this case,” according to the website. 

Protecting your child’s data and privacy 

As we’ve noted before, if you’re concerned about your child’s data or privacy while using school computers, programs or platforms, there are a few steps you can take:

• Opt out where possible. If you submit a written request to your district, you may be able to limit some data-sharing and directory information.
• Use strong parent/guardian passwords. Secure your own PowerSchool and related school accounts with unique, complex passwords and multifactor authentication if available.
• Consider a free credit freeze for your child with the major credit bureaus; it prevents accounts from being opened in their name. Continue to monitor for identity theft.
• Push for better protections. Contact your school board or PTA to advocate for stronger district-level data security and transparency.