School districts and colleges report a surge in AI‑enhanced cyber threats as attackers use generative models to craft convincing phishing, deepfake audio and sophisticated social‑engineering campaigns. Technology leaders say AI speeds both attack design and scale, turning once‑obvious phishing attempts into personalized, credible messages that are harder for staff to detect. Education IT departments—often underfunded and understaffed—are experimenting with AI for defensive purposes but face mixed results. Districts are prioritizing basic hygiene, multi‑factor authentication, staff training and incident response plans while urging policymakers to restore and expand federal cybersecurity support tailored to education.