Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) is in the process of contacting 105,500 individuals to notify them of an incident that occurred last February that may have resulted in the exposure of their personal information.
As MPS has shared previously, MPS on February 18, 2023, became aware of suspicious activity impacting our computer systems. An immediate investigation determined that an unauthorized actor had access to certain information in our computer systems between February 6, 2023, and February 18, 2023.
Understanding what information had been impacted was critical. MPS, in partnership with national specialists, immediately began a comprehensive review of the involved computer systems. The purpose of the comprehensive review was to determine whether sensitive information was present and identify impacted individuals. This process was time-intensive and required both computer-assisted and manual review. Although it has been difficult to not share more information sooner, the accuracy and the integrity of the review were essential.
Following this comprehensive review, MPS worked to match the information reviewed with contact information and then prepared notifications. MPS worked with a notification vendor to locate address information and provide the necessary resources to protect impacted individuals.
The types of personal information that may have been accessible to the unauthorized actor include: name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, financial account number, state student number, medical/health information, and health insurance information.
As a precautionary measure, impacted individuals are being offered free credit monitoring services, including information on how they can place a fraud alert on their credit file, place a security freeze on their credit file, and obtain a free credit report.
MPS has additionally made available to some impacted individuals a service for support in managing mental or emotional responses to this incident.
“Thank you to everyone impacted for their patience as we’ve moved through this difficult incident,” said Rochelle Cox, MPS Interim Superintendent MPS. “We encourage those who receive notifications to read the letters thoroughly and take whatever steps are recommended to protect themselves and their important data. MPS is implementing additional safeguards to do the same.”
As part of the school district’s ongoing commitment to the security of information, its policies and procedures regarding information security are being reviewed and enhanced, and additional training is being conducted.