Virus Disables School District Computers

A computer virus hit Ventura Unified School District on Friday afternoon, shutting down the main server and more than 2,000 computers at campuses across the city.

The virus, which officials think started midday in either the food or health services department at the district headquarters, spread to more than half of the schools.

Both the e-mail and the student records system were out of commission, but no long-term damage was expected.

“We’re not sure how many schools that it affected,” Supt. Joseph Spirito said. “This could not only be very expensive, but it could also be very time-consuming.”

The district’s technology staff will be working all weekend to get the glitch fixed, Spirito said. But the computers may remain down until late into next week, he added. During that time, staff will have to track the attendance and keep student records by hand.