NEW YORK – Parents of students at Langston Hughes Young Explorers Academy are fuming after officials at the school left a bag full of confidential student documents along the street in front of the building.

Two people came across the documents Wednesday in front of the school, also known as PS 236, on and immediately contacted WABC.

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“They were left on top of a pile of plastic bags … and picked up by two people who work in the neighborhood and were shocked by the security lapse,” according to the news site.

The paperwork was from the 2007-08 school year and contained the addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and medical information of students who attended the school. Information on some parents, including up-to-date phone numbers and addresses, was also included.

“We take this matter very seriously and it has been referred for investigation,” according to a statement from the New York City Department of Education. “We have procedures in place for the proper handling of student records and will ensure this matter is addressed.”

The department did not detail who was responsible for tossing out the papers.

WABC reports the two individuals who found the documents removed them from the curbside to keep it from falling into criminal hands.

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A mother identified only as Daisy told the news site she’s experienced identity theft herself, and is livid her daughter’s information was handled so carelessly.

“I’m very devastated, because that’s my daughter’s personal information,” she said. “Anybody can do anything with it, social security numbers, my information was stolen. So it took a long time to get my information cleared.”

“I just think that’s really, really unbelievable that someone would just throw papers out with other people’s information,” she said. “That’s totally unacceptable.”

WABC reports the folks who picked up the papers still have them, and it’s unclear what their plan is for the documents.

Several people who commented online didn’t seem the least bit surprised about the ordeal.

“Are you all surprised?” alantime77 questioned. “This is the kind of responsibility and professionalism we have come to know about the school boards and community boards (in) NYC.”

“Incompetent staff can care less about discarding others’ personal and confidential information,” Blizzast added.

The incident is not the first time that school officials have failed at their responsibility to keep student records confidential.

In Iowa City this spring, an Iowa State University student discovered a bin full of documents with personal education plans for students with disabilities at a local recycling center. The papers, which were left in plain sight, included names, birthdays, gender, grades, as well as parents’ addresses, phone numbers and emails. The information involved 14 students at Grant Wood Elementary, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported in April.

“It just felt so wrong to leave that sitting out at eye level,” ISU student Antonio Montoya told the news site.