NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 1, 2021
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has notified Natchez-Adams School District students, parents and guardians that a recent computer theft at Natchez High School may have compromised personal student information.
The theft occurred on May 13, 2021, when the MDE’s Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement (OCSAE) experienced a break-in at its Natchez-Adams office in Natchez High School. Office equipment including a computer containing the OCSAE student database from 2014 to 2021 was stolen. The database contained information for approximately 5,300 students who had worked with a School Attendance Officer.
Student databases do not contain Social Security numbers; however, they do include student addresses, birth dates and student identification numbers. There is no indication that any stolen information has been used. Still, the MDE takes its obligation to safeguard student data very seriously. Therefore, MDE is recommending families with students in the Natchez-Adams School District closely monitor their credit and identity information.
The MDE has worked with the Natchez-Adams School District and Natchez-Adams School District Police Department to investigate this matter. Further, MDE has examined its internal processes and is implementing additional safeguards to protect student information. MDE is deeply committed to protecting the confidentiality of student data.
Families with questions about this matter can email them to NatchezQuestions@mdek12.org.
Media Contact:
Jean Cook, APR
Director of Communication
601-359-3515
jcook@mdek12.org