School Using Social Security Number

[believe]

Our school is going to use an online system this year for parents to track pay for their children's meals. I decided to try to register last night only to find out that my daughters' id is their full social security number. I am very disturbed by this. In school she would just give her last 5 digits, which I was fine with, but her full number seems like a security risk to me.

I did send an e:mail to the principal, the online system and the superintendent asking for my daughters' information to be removed from this database and that I be made away of any other 'systems' they are using her social security number for.

I am surprised with all the hype about not giving our social out and protecting it that schools are allowed to do this.

Does anyone else's school do this?

 

[GreatDaneMom]

I encounter this is all facets of our lives. The number one thing we are told to do to protect from identity theft is to guard our SS numbers. Yet I'm constantly having to give it our for schools, at work, etc. I guess we have to express our concern every time we hit a circumstance. If enough people speak up, things will change.

We had all of our numbers in a work order database at my job. Out of 400+ employees there were at least 150 that had access to the numbers. I kept complaining and finally after 6 months of tolerating my noise they removed the numbers from this database. Be persistent! Your financial future, and you duaghter's, are at stake here!!

Cheryl

 

[Charade]

Technically I believe that is illegal. Why can't they just come up with a number of their own? I'm sure they have a student number in their database.

 

[believe]

I was thinking it could be illegal myself. I went to the social security site but couldn't see any place on there for laws regarding the use of your social security number.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

They need to get the kids an ID #. Using your Social like that is wrong.When the schools ask for it on their extra forms, I decline. They have that info in my dd's files. It is not necessary to give that info to play a sport or pay your lunch.

 

[Southern4sure]

Every student in our public school system is given a 5 digit # and this same # remains with the child until graduation. It is used for pre-pay online lunch program, busses and etc. I think it is a great idea.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I was thinking it could be illegal myself. I went to the social security site but couldn't see any place on there for laws regarding the use of your social security number.

I have the back of card stub stub and basically it is not illegal. It states that

it is neither required or prohibited by Federal Law

.

 

[believe]

Thanks for letting me know what the back of the card says. I will make sure I leave that information blank in the future since it is not required.

I am waiting to see what the schools reply is. I am going to push for them to remove the kids social as their id# for anything.

 

[Kahana-ri]

I agree that its not a good idea to have your daughters social displayed for others to view. BCBS use to use our social #'s as ID, but later changed it to random numbers and letters. For the same security reason. Our socials follow us forever! Your on the right track, I bet there are other parents that agree 100% with you.

 

[Amy]

Every student in our public school system is given a 5 digit # and this same # remains with the child until graduation. It is used for pre-pay online lunch program, busses and etc. I think it is a great idea.

Same here, only our school district uses a 6-digit number. Parents can prepay for lunches, and any amount left in the account at the end of the school year moves with the child to the next grade.

I hope your school administrators listen to you and change the system!

 

[ChristmasElf]

In Florida, the schools have the Social Security line on all the forms, but it is optional. I leave the line blank.
The schools give them a student number that is used for all school related paperwork.

Did you know that legally a doctors office cannot ask for your social security number? All they need is the Insurance card information of the insured.
If they ask for the SS # you can refuse and just give them your insurance card to copy.

 

[monarchsfan16]

Both my elementary/middle school and high school (2 different districts) gave us random numbers for ID. In 1st-8th I had just one 3 digit number. In high school I had 3 different numbers, but none involved my SS
In college however, our SS is our ID number. It's used for a rediculous amount of stuff. I'm constantly having to use it for something, generally on the computer, so I'm wicked careful about where my computer is, and who might have it. People do make a stink about the use of our socials, however, it hasn't changed yet.
At work we have different ID numbers (I think it has to do with when we were hired), but to log onto the employee website where we can check schedules and deal with payroll stuff, we have to use our SS plus a password that we come up with.
So basically right now my SS is used all the time. It's sickening

 

[believe]

I received a reply from the principal...which seems very vague and she did not let me know my children's information would be removed or of any other system their SS# is being used for. Here was her reply:

Thank you for your input. This system is new to us the this year and it has various problems to be worked out. Please continue to be patient as we work through these issues. Our central office is aware of these concerns and will be working to improve the system as we move forward with it.

 

[MrsKreamer]

Before 9-11-01 the college I went to used your social plus 3 numbers as your id number, even for faculty. After 9-11-01 they wanted the falculty to wear their id on their shirt, with their SS# clearly visable...lol. Needless to say we quickly went to using different numbers for studen and faculty id.

 

[ChristmasElf]

I received a reply from the principal...which seems very vague and she did not let me know my children's information would be removed or of any other system their SS# is being used for. Here was her reply:

Thank you for your input. This system is new to us the this year and it has various problems to be worked out. Please continue to be patient as we work through these issues. Our central office is aware of these concerns and will be working to improve the system as we move forward with it.

MY response to this would be a reply back with something like:

While I appreciate the fact the system is new and there are problems to be worked out, this delay in removing the SS # is not acceptable. Please remove the number from your system and furnish my dd with a "generic" or Student number immediately for the school use.




Keep on the Principal every day and maybe it will help speed up the process.

 

[believe]

I did reply asking for confirmation of them being removed from all online systems until this issue is resolved.

 

[helenabear]

I received a reply from the principal...which seems very vague and she did not let me know my children's information would be removed or of any other system their SS# is being used for. Here was her reply:

Thank you for your input. This system is new to us the this year and it has various problems to be worked out. Please continue to be patient as we work through these issues. Our central office is aware of these concerns and will be working to improve the system as we move forward with it.

Wow, that sounds like a standard "canned" response!

I do hope you can at least get your girls' information removed quickly! That would bother me as well!!!

 

[mickeysgal]

They need to get the kids an ID #. Using your Social like that is wrong.When the schools ask for it on their extra forms, I decline. They have that info in my dd's files. It is not necessary to give that info to play a sport or pay your lunch.

In the school district we came from, the kids had to know their ss# so that they can use it to pay for their lunches. I'd send a check, they'd enter it into the system, and the kids would have to punch it into a keypad to access their account. In this day and age, I don't understand why it is being done this way. Yes, I mentioned it, and yes, they're still doing it this way. Talk about ripe for identity theft!

 

[yearbook50]

Wait til college. In larger classes the only way they know who you are is by your social.

 

[believe]

While I know colleges are doing it this way, I am praying it will be changed by the time my DDs get there. Hopefully there is someone that takes a stand on this and gets some laws in place to protect our kids.