School Districts Stumble on Data Privacy

Three school districts are grappling with the loss of private information on a broad scale, each through a unique set of circumstances.

One Virginia district learned that personal information about students at one of its middle schools was lost when a bag containing a thumb drive was stolen. Another discovered that it had sold as surplus several computers containing the names and Social Security numbers of employees. And a district in Massachusetts uncovered exposure of employee personal data on a public Web site for a short period.

In the case of Prince William County Public Schools in Manassas, VA, parents of students at Lake Ridge Middle School received a letter from its principal in May 2010 regarding the theft of confidential school division data. The data was maintained on a thumb drive taken off school property for the sake of emergency backup and was in a bag taken during a burglary off campus. The data included a student identification number, student name, parent/guardian name and phone numbers, and student bus number or walker status. According to the letter, additional "identifiable data" may also have been recorded.

According to the school district's Web site, Lake Ridge has about 1,180 students.

To answer parents' questions, the school held an informational meeting and provided contact information for its two assistant principals.

Roanoke City Public Schools in Roanoke, VA allowed personal information--including Social Security numbers--on about 2,000 employees to get out of its control during the sale of surplus computers. The sale of eight computers included hard drives containing names, school locations, and Social Security numbers of the division's employees as of November 2006. The district indicated it has since recovered the drives.

Quincy Public Schools in Massachusetts learned that it had posted private information about some employees, including names, home addresses, work locations, and Social Security numbers on a public Web site. The data was contained in a PowerPoint slideshow documenting proposed budget cuts, according to coverage in local newspaper, The Patriot Ledger.

In none of the cases does it appear that the school district has provided credit checking services for those potentially affected by the data breaches.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  •  classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.