In a message to parent's released on Oct. 15, the school's principal Marcia Beltran said a staff member's car was broken into while parked in Salem the day before, and a backpack containing student photos and identification numbers was stolen.
"We understand that this news may be concerning, and we want to assure you that we are taking this matter very seriously," Beltran said in her message to South Shore families.
Approximately 300 students' photos and ID numbers were involved, Becca Mallery, Greater Albany Public Schools communications director, said by email.
Superintendent Andy Gardner added in a later phone interview that the ID numbers couldn't be used to access health or credit information.
According to Mallery, the information included names, and the IDs were district-specific library numbers.
In Beltran's message sent to parents earlier this month, the principal said there was currently no evidence the stolen information would be used inappropriately, but "as a precaution, the district is closely monitoring all student accounts for any signs of suspicious activity."
According to Mallery, the district's technology team was watching student accounts because some students had used their ID numbers as passwords — though, she added, it was unlikely someone could access student accounts without knowing corresponding usernames.
Gardner said the district wanted to notify parents as soon as possible about the theft, though at least one South Shore parent, Michael Fairgrieve, took issue with the school's communication about the leak on Facebook.
Gardner couldn't comment on what had happened to the South Shore staff member, or whether the staff member is a teacher or an administrator.
As for preventing future leaks, South Shore staff had additional training on how to properly store student data on Oct. 15, following the theft, according to Mallery.
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