SPRING, Texas -- A laptop computer containing the personal information of about 8,000 students was stolen this week from a Spring ISD employee’s car.

In a letter sent to parents on Thursday, Spring ISD said a testing coordinator’s car was broken into when she made a quick stop on her way home from work. The car burglars made off with her school laptop and an external flash drive.

The flash drive contains students’ Social Security numbers, personal information, schools those students attend, as well as their grade level and birthdates. The drive also contained the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test results.

The theft occurred on Wednesday, the school district said.

Spring ISD superintendent Ralph Draper said the district was attempting to contact the parents of each student whose information was contained on the flash drive.

In his letter to parents Draper also noted that the district was attempting to withhold information about the theft from the general public, “because we hope to retrieve the flash drive before the information is accessed. We believe the computer was the object of interest of the perpetrator(s), and they may not be aware of the existence of the flash drive.”

The school district also provided links to government resources as resources for people to protect their kids’ identity.

The Harris County Sherriff’s Office is investigating the theft.