Champion Circle High School renamed Cactus Canyon after community‑driven vote

The Phoenix Union High School District governing board voted Thursday to rename Champion Circle High School to Cactus Canyon High School, following a fast‑paced community nomination and committee process.

Principal Rob Grant presented the naming committee’s work: the process collected about 990 nominations, which the committee narrowed to seven finalists and then tallied 6,656 official votes across stakeholder groups. "We met five times between April 8th and April 27th," Grant said, summarizing outreach that included students, alumni, staff and neighborhood discussion forums.

The committee reported a split in preferences: students favored "Cactus Canyon," while neighborhood community responses tended to favor names that referenced the local community (top community pick: "Lavine"). The committee emphasized fiscal responsibility in recommendations, noting that many brand elements (colors, the Pegasus mascot, turf) could be preserved to limit replacement costs.

Following a roll‑call temperature check, Board member Apodaka moved to rename the campus "Cactus Canyon High School." Board member Oliver seconded; the motion carried in the meeting vote and the board announced Cactus Canyon High School as the effective name for the 2026–27 school year.

The board and staff flagged immediate next steps: update signage and uniforms selectively to manage costs, notify families and community partners, and implement any necessary administrative changes before the start of the school year.

What’s next: staff said they will provide a cost estimate and implementation timeline and return with details about phased replacements (signage, uniforms and facility markings).