The third annual Chandler Unified School District Pizza Design Competition is a contest for students who want to engage with nutrition and have a say in their cafeteria food. Every school cafeteria in CUSD K-12 offered a design sheet to students interested in submitting their pizza designs. Competitors circled their choice of sauce, cheeses, and toppings and titled their creation, ensuring to submit their designs before the deadline on Friday, February 14, 2026. Judges will select one design each from the elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools in CUSD. The three winning designs will be served for the entire district to try, students and teachers alike.

Six Chandler High School students in 9th grade submitted designs for the CUSD Pizza Design competition. These students, Zane Postovit, Sara Martinez Llaguno, Riley McClain, Riley Sills, Amelia Knipmeyer, and Thomas Dayley submitted intriguing and fun pizza designs for the competition.

The infographics below shows their unique design choices and twists on the classic cheese pizza.

Zane Postivit’s “Hot Honey Meat Lovers” Pizza is a mouthwatering marinara and mozzarella creation. Steaming bacon and sizzling sausage and pepperoni with a hot honey drizzle pairs well with the cheddar and mozzarella cheese layer. While Postovit has never tried his creation, he is sure he will love it, and if it wins, he’s sure it “would be well liked by others.” While Zane “didn’t necessarily have any particular persons interests in mind” when he initially set out to create his pizza, he soon let his heart and tongue lead the way and “just picked what sounded good.”

Riley McClain took a classic approach to her pizza, designing it with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and delicious toppings of pepperoni and sausage. She doubts her pizza is “interesting enough to get chosen,” but believes that if it was chosen, that many of her peers would enjoy it. McClain admits she designed her pizza because she “didn’t want something horrendous to win,” which considering some of the other pizzas in the competition, is a very fair statement.

Sara Martinez Llaguno’s “The PIZZA Ever” may be one of the “horrendous” creations McClain was referring to. This pizza is the only pizza to use a Thai sweet chili sauce base, a pepper jack cheese layer, and the four unique toppings of pineapple, mashed potatoes, bell peppers, and scrambled eggs. While Sara admits many would be repulsed or even disgusted by her creation, including herself, she describes how she followed her “soul” rather than her tongue and heart. “I don’t think I have the best shot at winning, but that’s OK because I did my best,” she said. Even though Sara doubts she would like her pizza if it were served, she described how it might be, “creativity over taste buds that decides this vote.”

Amelia Knipmeyer got the inspiration for her pizza from her father who urged her to try it despite initial repulsion. “I am really glad my dad introduced me to this pizza because I really like the taste. I love eating this pizza because it is very different than normal pizza flavors and its unique flavor really makes it stand out from others,” Knipmeyer said. The pizza, titled “The Spinach Monster,” is comprised of a creamy alfredo base, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, and of course, spinach. Amelia thinks she has “a good chance at winning this competition” and if she does, she thinks “people in other schools will enjoy the new flavor of pizza.”

Riley Sills’ accurately titled pizza, “Spaghetti Pizza,” consists of a marinara sauce base, warm mozzarella cheese, fresh spinach, garlic, and basil, and meatballs. The pizza is inspired by “an elevated margarita pizza that takes traditional pizza that most people love and combines it with one of America’s most enjoyed foods, spaghetti!” Sills believes she would like her pizza and that others would too if it were to win and be served to fellow classmates and peers.

Thomas Dayley is among the competition for the most delicious and creative pizza design. His pizza pie, titled “Angel Chicken”, is made with a rich white alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, and delicious chicken to top it off. “I got the inspiration for this pizza from my mom, because she sometimes makes angel chicken, a dish with an alfredo like sauce, and chicken,” he said. While he is unsure if it will be able to compete with more traditional pizzas, he still thinks “it’s a pretty good pick,” and that others would likely enjoy his creation.