Crime & Safety
Polk Students' Information May Have Been Exposed In Data Breach
Some parents with kids enrolled in the Polk County schools have received letters informing them about a data breach affecting students.
POLK COUNTY, FL — Some Polk County students may have had personal information exposed to unauthorized access during a data breach in Dec. 2019, according to the Polk County Public Schools District.
The school district said it learned that some parents recently received a letter from PCS Revenue Control Systems, Inc., a company the school did business with several years ago to collect information from families that applied for free or reduced-price school meals. The letter is legitimate, according to school officials.
"The letter states that there has been no evidence that any personal information has been used for malicious purposes, but those who might have been affected are being contacted and offered free identity monitoring services," the school district said on its website.
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Officials did ask the company to provide more information, such as how many students were affected. PCS Revenue has not responded back to the school yet, according to PCPS. If you have received this letter, school staff said do not throw it away.
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