If you ever had a pizza party in elementary school, you might remember those thinly cut slices of pizza they used to serve with disdain and disappointment in your heart.

But have you ever wondered why school pizza party slices were cut so thin? Well, there's a reason, and it might change your perspective.

So, why were class pizza party slices so small? Here's what you need to know about the cliche and memes about it.

What Is The 'School Pizza Party Slices' Meme?

Memes about the size of school pizza party slices first started appearing online as early as August 2020, when a tweet by @buxtonszn about the pizza at the much-hyped class pizza party went viral with over 200,000 likes.

The meme uses a photo of a very thinly cut slice of pizza to illustrate their point, which has since become the go-to pizza photo for these types of memes.

All of the memes share the same punchline: The pizza at elementary school pizza parties was always very thin. Clearly, this is a well-known phenomenon that happened to many people growing up. But why were the slices always so thin?

How Is 'School Pizza Party Slices' Used In Memes And Why Were Class Pizza Party Slices So Small?

Memes about the small size of school pizza party slices continued to go viral on social media throughout the 2020s on sites like Reddit, X / Twitter and Facebook. These memes have inspired a lot of questions about why thinly cut slices are such a phenomenon that many people remember and have experienced.

In June 2025, a meme using an image of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) from American Psycho suggesting a sad meaning behind the phenomenon brought online demand for an answer to new heights.

The most prominent answer to the question comes down to the arguably low salaries of teachers in the United States. The sad reason suggested in the memes is that teachers have to pay for the pizza parties from their own pockets and the kindness of their own hearts.

Considering their low wages, this can be seen as a sad reality of teaching that often goes unseen. According to the National Education Association, more than 90 percent of teachers spend their own money on school supplies.

What Are Some More 'School Pizza Party Slices' Memes?

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For the full history of School Pizza Party Slices, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.