Broken Arrow Schools apologize after student info mistakenly emailed

Broken Arrow Public Schools is issuing an apology after a spreadsheet containing private student information was mistakenly emailed to families at one elementary school.

More Than 400 Students Impacted

The incident occurred on Monday at Leisure Park Elementary. District officials say it was the result of human error. The spreadsheet included sensitive details for more than 400 students, including names, student ID numbers, birthdates, and parent/guardian contact information. School officials say this incident only occurred at Leisure Park and no other schools in the district were impacted.

Concern From Parents

One concerned parent who says she's a foster parent in the district emailed News On 6 to express frustration that such information was shared. She said the inclusion of foster students' data was especially troubling.

District Calls It a "Disappointing Failure"

Tara Thompson, Chief of Communications for Broken Arrow Public Schools, called the error a “disappointing failure” and emphasized that the district takes the incident seriously.

“Obviously, they [parents] are no happier that it happened than we are,” Thompson said. “But the amount of support that they have given the office staff is really heartwarming.”

No Financial or Social Security Data Exposed

Thompson clarified that no financial data or Social Security numbers were included in the spreadsheet. Still, she acknowledged the seriousness of the breach and said the district is taking steps to prevent this from happening again.

Corrective Actions Taken

To address the breach, the district has taken several corrective actions:

1. New student ID numbers have been issued
2. Meal accounts have been updated
3. All students will continue to receive services without interruption

Moving Forward

Broken Arrow Public Schools says it is reviewing its internal procedures to ensure it doesn't happen again. In an internal email, Principal Janet Dotson said, "We do not take it lightly that you trust us with your child’s education, and we are truly sorry that this error occurred. At the conclusion of our internal investigation, we will take any corrective actions deemed necessary to prevent this type of mistake from happening in the future."