East County: A Data Breach, Water Forum, and Weekend Events
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The La Mesa–Spring Valley School District notified families Tuesday of unauthorized access and copying of student information from an Educational Testing Service file-transfer site. ETS administers standardized assessments including the SAT and Advanced Placement exams, and its infrastructure handles sensitive student data including names, school identifiers, and potentially academic records. The breach notice directed families to California Department of Education resources but did not disclose how many La Mesa–Spring Valley students were affected — a gap families are being encouraged to press the district to fill.
The breach originated at ETS, a third-party vendor, rather than within the district's own systems — an increasingly common pattern in educational data incidents. The word 'copied' in the breach description is significant: data was not merely viewed but extracted, raising the stakes for identity monitoring. Whether other San Diego County districts that used the same ETS file-transfer pathway received similar notifications was not confirmed Thursday morning.
Thursday evening brings a community opportunity for East County residents: Helix Water District hosts a presentation on the East County Advanced Water Purification project from 6 to 7 p.m. at The Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West in El Cajon. The format includes a half-hour project overview followed by a live question-and-answer session. Registration is required and seating is limited — interested residents should check the Helix Water District website. The project addresses the region's long-standing water supply reliability challenges by treating recycled water to potable standards, reducing dependence on imported supplies.
This Saturday, October 24th, East County offers a full slate of community events. The Santee Lakes Spooktacular runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 9310 Fanita Parkway, with trunk-or-treating, inflatables, a trick-or-treat trail around Lake 2, and a live DJ — admission is free. In El Cajon, Children's Choice hosts a Free Kids Fall Festival beginning at 10 a.m. at 1465 East Madison Avenue, featuring animal visitors, crafts, games, and school tours. Drug Take Back Day operates simultaneously at the Lakeside Sheriff's Substation at 12365 Parkside Street and the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station at 11486 Campo Road in Spring Valley, both 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free and anonymous. Needles and sharps are not accepted at either Saturday site.