Had they bought $250 Windows laptops seven years ago, they still would've received updates for another 2.5 years.
These laptops aren't used for video editing or 3D modeling. They need to run text editors and a few Chrome tabs. The screens are still the same old terrible resolutions. There's no reason why these devices shouldn't be usable to be honest.
10 years of software support for laptops is the norm, in my experience. I've seen people be more than content with older devices. If you're right and Apple can't get that level of support on macOS, then Apple is the disappointment, not the school's expectations.
These laptops aren't used for video editing or 3D modeling. They need to run text editors and a few Chrome tabs. The screens are still the same old terrible resolutions. There's no reason why these devices shouldn't be usable to be honest.
10 years of software support for laptops is the norm, in my experience. I've seen people be more than content with older devices. If you're right and Apple can't get that level of support on macOS, then Apple is the disappointment, not the school's expectations.