K-12 school districts are on the frontlines of cyber warfare, with many districts across America to become victims of phishing, social engineering, malware, and ransomware attacks. As a result, many districts have been forced to cease operations for extended periods of time, pay costly ransoms, and endure the embarrassment of having highly sensitive private information divulged on the internet along with the public relations nightmare of being the victim of a cyberattack. Further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical for cybersecurity training, awareness, and professional development to become ubiquitous within K-12 school districts to fortify the weakest link in the cybersecurity for any organization in the public or private sector -- people. This action research dissertation examines the primary vulnerabilities, areas of concern, and gaps in awareness and knowledge of staff members concerning cybersecurity and the perceived deficiencies at the research site regarding cybersecurity awareness and training for each staff member group (i.e., IT personnel, administrators, teachers/other staff members). In addition, insights and recommendations are provided to assist K-12 district leaders in addressing areas of concern and better equip staff members with the awareness and knowledge to defend against cyber threats. K-12 school districts can take the necessary steps to bolster their cybersecurity best practice, knowledge, and staff capacity through training, awareness, and professional development almost immediately. However, the efforts must be continuous, evolve with the threats, and change the organizational culture to ensure all staff members, regardless of job title, view their daily job responsibilities through a cybersecurity lens to protect district operations, privacy, and valuable data. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]