Deer Valley USD Interrogates Students Without Parental Knowledge or Consent

A Deer Valley USD parent, referred to as “Amy,” contacted the School Board Integrity Project to report that her children were questioned about their morning and bedtime routines. It turns out Stetson Hills School administrators had engaged students in an “Attendance Reflection Activity” during lunch on November 6, 2025. Parents weren’t notified about the event until the end of the school day.

Stetson Hills Assistant Principal Kelly Walter wrote in an email:

“Our school utilizes a system called CUTS (Chronically Absent and Truant Students) to proactively identify students who are missing more than 10% of instructional days by the end of the quarter…During the session, students participated in fun discussions about:

Their current nighttime routines,

Their current morning routines [and]

Developing a goal or plan for one small, positive change they could make to improve their attendance moving forward.”

Walter ended the communication by thanking parents for their “partnership and support in encouraging consistent daily attendance.” In her zealousness to combat chronic absenteeism, Walter failed to address the fact that elementary students are not responsible for transporting themselves to school.

Stetson’s attendance survey can be viewed here. In addition to answering questions about sleep schedules and household activities, students were required to sign the document as if it were a contract between them and the school district.

Amy said her kids were probed about their eating habits and family relationships, but those questions were not included on the survey. She also said her children described feeling anxious and “targeted” during the attendance reflection session.

According to Amy, her children haven’t missed more than a few days since the 2025 school year began, and every absence was excused due to illness or doctor’s appointments. Assistant Principal Walter confirmed that parents only need to notify the school, and doctors’ notes are not required in these instances.

Amy emailed her concerns about the district’s lack of transparency to DVUSD Superintendent Curtis Finch. Instead of responding to Amy, Finch forwarded her email to the School Operations and Safety Coordinator, Valerie Bullis.

Bullis claimed the truancy probe was intended to be a “proactive approach in addressing student attendance patterns” and that school administrators were now “reviewing the process.” Meanwhile, Amy insisted that she and other parents she talked to were never informed about the student interrogation “process” to begin with. Amy also believes most parents are not aware of the CUTS program.

Screenshots from the Stetson Hills social media account show educators and other DVUSD schools participating in attendance competitions. Amy said these activities promote unhealthy rivalry among students who are totally dependent on their parents for transportation and life decisions.

Although there’s nothing inherently negative about finding fun ways to encourage classroom attendance, the planning and execution of Stetson’s CUTS program were botched, and the interrogation activities left some parents feeling gaslighted.

Please send tips and updates on Deer Valley Unified School District to info@rpredu.org.