GOLDEN — Letters are being sent home today to about 2,500 Jefferson County school-district households to inform them that students’ information may have been compromised in a burglary.
A computer laptop and jump drive containing the information was taken Jan. 28 from the Arvada home of a special-education technician.
District spokeswoman Lynn Setzer said the technician had traveled to several schools and that the jump drive may have contained information on 2,900 special-education students from at least 26 schools.
The technician had driven to several district schools and used the jump drive to store information as part of work with special-education students.
The stolen information may have included student names, dates of birth, identification number and school locations.
Setzer said Social Security and financial information was not involved.
In addition, if the student has received district transportation, information such as a parent or guardian name and contact information also may have been on the jump drive.
Setzer said the Arvada Police Department has been notified and is trying to recover the stolen equipment. There also is an internal district investigation.
The district is reviewing policies on the use of confidential student and parent information.
“This employee was well-intentioned in storing the information in an effort to support students and teachers,” said Community Superintendent Peg Kastberg.
“This is an opportunity for us to rethink the way we store data,” she said, “and will help all of us recognize that we can never be too careful when it comes to safeguarding information.”
Ann Schrader: 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com
