Dear Falcon Families,

Thank you for choosing Carl Hayden Community High School. Working alongside our incredible educators and educational support professionals is a privilege to deliver the best educational experience in the city. 

I am writing today to share some exciting news for the 2025-2026 school year. Beginning this fall, our campus will switch from a two-lunch bell schedule and provide one lunch for all students. We decided to move in this direction because having one lunch offers the following benefits.

-              More flexibility for student schedules

-              Opportunity for sacred time for club and sports meetings

-              Additional safeguards against double lunching or ditching

-              Build school-wide culture through a shared community experience each day

When we began working towards moving to one lunch, we received feedback from students, staff, parents, and the broader community to help guide our decision. Please see below for some answers to the feedback and questions we received.

-              Carl Hayden High School will always prioritize the safety and well-being of all students and staff. Therefore, we will have a comprehensive safety plan to support the additional students attending the lone lunch period. Additional information will be released soon.

-              Additional safety measures will be in place, including additional staff on duty during lunch.

-              The District will invest time, effort, and money over the summer to renovate existing spaces and add shade structures so that we can accommodate additional students eating.

-              Our team will focus on ensuring that all students have the opportunity to eat by providing additional food carts and will actively work to decrease wait times so all can eat without having to rush.

-              The renovations will also allow our cafeteria staff to prepare more meals so that we do not run out of food and provide easy access for students.

-              We will open gyms and other community spaces to provide even more space for students to eat, gather, and enjoy each other’s company during lunch.

As we move in this direction, not everything will change. Students will still be expected to clean up after themselves, show proper student ID, live our school’s values, and adhere to our high expectations for student behavior and safety.

We look forward to partnering with our students and staff over the next few months to prepare for the shift to one lunch. We welcome any and all feedback from those we serve to ensure we have a smooth and safe transition to one lunch. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback you think we need to consider, please do not hesitate to contact our front office at (602) 764-3000 and I will be happy to discuss this shift further with you.

Thank you for your continued trust, and be on the lookout for additional messaging about the shift to one lunch over the next few months.

Respectfully, 

Dr. Julio Rubio

Principal