oh right is correct...
you didn't have the internet...
and the worst you likely did have was Leisure Suit Larry UnCensored ;)

or were you the rich kid with a 2400 baud modem?!?
and a subscription to the local BBS?!?

you don't think they know how to do a google search for 'how do I hack linux' ???

you apparently neither have kids, or work with them...their resourcefulness would astound you!

nothing particularly clever about entering 'how do I get past my school's content filter' into google search and clicking on one of the myriad of proxy sites that appear, and typing the censor'd address you wish to view into the input box and clicking 'go'

the real question is how much $$$ do you have budgeted for the support of these laptops...
if you leave them wide open...expect a very very wide variety of "issues" with them...

lock them down and use the money spent to help off-set the costs of the infrastructure...

I support 2 schools, 1 with wi-fi and laptops and 1 without... the one without takes 1/3 the time in terms of support with student-use computers.