Should Your Lunchroom Have Assigned Seating?

You walk into the cafeteria after a long morning of writing activities and math problems. It’s finally lunchtime. Today is pizza day—your favorite. You can’t wait to chow down and hang out with your friends. There’s just one problem. All the seats near them are taken. “Where will I sit?” you wonder. “Who will I talk to?”

That situation may sound familiar. But some kids never have to worry about finding a seat in the lunchroom. That’s because their cafeterias have assigned seating. Kihei Elementary School on Maui, an island in Hawaii, is one example. Fourth-grade teacher Tracy Kraft approves of the policy.

“It helps kids make friends and cuts down on the chaos of the cafeteria,” she says.

But not everyone thinks assigned seating is a good idea. Some people point out that lunch is one of the few times during the school day when kids can relax and chat with their friends. It wouldn’t be fair to force them to sit with people they may not have anything in common with. 

Supporters of assigned seating say it helps ensure that everyone has someone to socialize with at lunchtime. That’s important for students who are new to their school. It is also helpful for kids whose friends eat lunch at a different time. 

Plus, many kids always choose to eat with the same people. Assigned seating encourages them to branch out and get to know others. 

“It’s good to step out of your comfort zone,” says Suzanne Rice. She’s a former education professor at the University of Kansas. Rice has studied lunchtime at schools.

Many school officials say assigned seating helps keep the cafeteria calm and organized. When kids don’t have to scramble to find a place to sit, they have more time to enjoy their meals. 

Rice says assigned seating doesn’t have to be boring. Schools could group students who have similar interests or switch up assignments every few weeks.

Others think students should be free to sit wherever they want. They say lunch should be a time to relax and have fun. But assigned seating might mean sitting near someone you don’t get along with. That could lead to arguments. 

The typical lunch period in U.S. elementary schools is 25 minutes long. Rice points out that this may be the only time kids can hang out with their friends during the school day. 

“The lunchroom is one of very few places where friends get to be together,” she says. 

Assigned seating can also be stressful for kids who are shy. They may not be comfortable talking to people they don’t know. 

Besides, there are other ways to help make the cafeteria a more welcoming place without having to assign seats. One idea is for lunchrooms to have round tables instead of long rectangular ones. That way, everyone can see and hear each other. No one will be left out of conversations.