CPS Settlement Claim Form: Filing, Deadlines, and Payment

If your child used PowerSchool’s Naviance platform through Chicago Public Schools, you can file a CPS settlement claim form online at powerschoolnaviancesettlement.com or by mail, and the deadline is July 27, 2026. The claim comes out of a $17.25 million fund in Q.J. v. PowerSchool Holdings LLC, et al., and every valid claimant receives an equal share of what’s left after fees and costs.¹²

Who Qualifies to File

You’re a class member if you were a student who logged into PowerSchool’s Naviance platform at least once, at school or at home, between August 18, 2021 and January 23, 2026.² One login in that window is enough. For minors, a parent or legal guardian files the claim on the child’s behalf.

You don’t need to show that your data was misused or that anyone stole your identity. The settlement compensates class members for the privacy violation itself, so a valid claim is about confirming you fall inside the class, not documenting harm.²

Filing Online

Go to powerschoolnaviancesettlement.com and open the claim form link. The form asks for the identifying information Kroll Settlement Administration LLC needs to match you against the class member list. Fill in each field, review before submitting, and save or screenshot the confirmation page once the form goes through. Online claims must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on July 27, 2026.²

If something on the form isn’t clear, or you can’t get the online submission to work, call the administrator at (833) 447-8852.²

Filing By Mail

Download the paper form from the settlement website, or request one from the administrator. Complete it and mail it to:

Q.J. v. PowerSchool Holdings LLC
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
PO Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391²

Paper forms must be postmarked by July 27, 2026. Use certified mail or another service with tracking, so you have proof of the mailing date if the postmark is ever questioned.

The Three Dates That Matter

July 13, 2026: deadline to opt out of the settlement or file a written objection to its terms.
July 27, 2026: deadline to submit a claim form, online by 11:59 p.m. CT or postmarked by that date on paper.
August 19, 2026: Final Approval Hearing at 11:00 a.m. CT, when the court decides whether to approve the settlement.²

Doing nothing has a cost. If you don’t file and don’t opt out, you stay in the class but get no payment, and you lose the right to sue PowerSchool or CPS separately over the same data practices.

What You’ll Be Paid

Payments are distributed pro rata. The $17.25 million fund covers administration costs, attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and service awards for the named plaintiffs, and whatever remains is split equally among everyone who files a valid claim.² Fewer claimants means a larger per-person share; a flood of claims means a smaller one. The individual amount isn’t fixed in advance.

Checks or electronic payments go out after the court grants final approval on August 19, 2026 and any appeals are resolved. With no appeal, payments typically follow within a few months of final approval. An appeal pushes everything back, sometimes by many months. Keep your mailing address current with the administrator while you wait, because a returned check only adds delay.

Opting Out or Objecting Instead

If you think your individual claim is worth more than a pro rata share, for example because you experienced documented identity theft tied to Naviance data, you can exclude yourself and sue on your own. The opt-out request has to reach the administrator by July 13, 2026.² Opting out means no settlement payment, but your right to sue stays intact.

Objecting is a different choice. An objection tells the court you disagree with the terms, perhaps that the fund is too small or the fees too high, but you want to stay in the class and collect a payment if the court approves the deal anyway. Objections are also due by July 13, 2026.

If You Were Affected By the Earlier Battelle for Kids Breach

CPS has been through more than one data incident. A separate 2021 ransomware attack on the vendor Battelle for Kids exposed records for about 500,000 students and 60,000 current and former employees.³ The PowerSchool/Naviance claim form does not cover that breach. If you received a notice about the Battelle for Kids incident, follow the instructions on that notice; the deadlines and claim process on this page apply only to Q.J. v. PowerSchool Holdings LLC.

Taxes on Your Payment

Data breach settlement payments are generally taxable. Under IRC Section 61, gross income includes compensation from almost any source unless a specific provision excludes it, and the physical-injury exclusion in IRC Section 104 does not reach privacy harms. Expect the payment to count as ordinary income in the year you receive it, and expect the administrator may issue a 1099. If the payout is large enough to matter to your tax picture, set some aside or adjust your withholding before filing season.⁴

1
Government Technology. PowerSchool, Chicago Schools Agree to Pay $17.25M Settlement
2
CPS Settlement. Q.J. v. PowerSchool Holdings LLC, et al.
3
StateScoop. Ransomware on Edtech Vendor Results in Data Breach of 500K Chicago Students
4
Internal Revenue Service. Tax Implications of Settlements and Judgments