Even while the majority of students have gone through the lunch line, it is always being used by some. Photo courtesy of freshman Nico Aebischer.

Crowded lunch lines are a familiar sight to students at San Luis Obispo High School, with many students going through the line almost everyday to get their food, either at lunch or nutrition break. These slow, busy lines are not only a minor inconvenience, but for students that get in the line late, slow lunch lines can also mean being late to class, or close to it. This is why the SLOHS cafeteria staff is trying to think of ways to speed lines up, with the students using their ID cards being a proposed solution.

  The SLOHS lunch lines are obviously crowded due to popularity. One reason as to why school lunch is popular is the 2022 California law Education Code 49501.5, which requires all public schools in the state of California to provide breakfast and lunch for all students every school day, free of charge. Another reason why the lunch lines are slow could be an issue with students entering their student ID. 

  “The biggest issue of the lunch line and is also the hold up is students typing in their number. I would say about one hundred students a meal service are stopped and asked to retype it,” said Central Kitchen Supervisor Sarah Rich. “[The] long term goal [is to] get students to use their ID cards.”

  With such long waits, how do students feel about the school lunch line?

  “I dislike [the lunch lines], they are too slow and I hate being squished by people around me,” said freshman Finn Selman.

  If students were able to use their cards instead of typing in a pin number, it could save precious seconds every time a student gets lunch, making the line as a whole go much faster. However, if students forget to already have their card ready and take too much time getting it out, the transaction could take longer. 

  “I think that it would be great to have the option of swiping your card, but realistically, I would rather type in my number than [have to] pull out my card, swipe it, and put it away. I think that while it is a good idea, I would rather just type my student ID in because it’s quicker and less of a hassle,” said freshman Canyon Davis. 

  A change like this could either save students time, cause more of a hassle, or really just do nothing to change it. Either way, no one will truly be able to tell unless something changes. 

Sources: cde.ca.gov