This summer, Highline will begin moving student files from Google Drive to Microsoft OneDrive.
This is part of Highline's move to Microsoft tools for students. Students will begin using more Microsoft tools in the fall.
What you need to know
Most families do not need to take action right now.
This summer, student files saved in Google Drive will be copied to Microsoft OneDrive. Student files will be moved in stages, starting with high school students, then middle school students and elementary students. Our goal is to finish before the first day of school.
Beginning Sept. 2, 2026, students will use Microsoft 365 as their main tool for school files, classroom work, meetings, calendar access and email.
Outlook will become the primary email account for students during the 2026-27 school year. Each student already has an Outlook email account using their district email address: [studentID]@stu.highlineschools.org.
Gmail will remain available during the first part of the 2026-27 school year. We will share more information in the fall before any changes are made to student Gmail access.
Google Drive access will not end right away. After files are copied to OneDrive, students will still be able to view their Google Drive files in Google for a transition period. Beginning Sept. 2, students should use Microsoft 365 for new school files.
We will share an update in early August. If the timeline changes, we will let families know.
Graduating seniors and students leaving Highline should save any personal files they want to keep before the end of the school year. Their files will not be moved to OneDrive.
What students should expect
During the transfer:
- Students should avoid creating new files in Google Drive over the summer, when possible.
- Files in Google Drive will be copied to OneDrive.
- Transferred files will appear in OneDrive in a folder called Google Transfer Files.
- Students will be able to view their Google Drive files in Google even after the transfer
- Files saved in Google Drive will transfer to OneDrive. Files not saved in Google Drive will not transfer. For example, Google Photos will not transfer.
Access to Google and Microsoft tools
Beginning September 2, 2026, several Google tools will be turned off for students.
Students will no longer be able to create new Google Docs, Slides or Sheets. They should use Word, PowerPoint and Excel in OneDrive for new school files.
Students will also use:
- Microsoft Teams Classrooms instead of Google Classroom
- Microsoft Teams Meetings instead of Google Meet
- Outlook Calendar instead of Google Calendar
Google Drive will remain available in a limited, view-only format for a transition period. We will share more information in the fall before any additional changes are made to student Google access.
Students will receive support as they learn the new tools.
Student Email
Students will use Outlook more during the 2026-27 school year.
Each student already has an Outlook email account. This account uses the student’s district email address: [studentID]@stu.highlineschools.org.
Outlook will become the primary email account for students. Gmail will remain available during the first part of the 2026-27 school year. We will share more information in the fall before any changes are made to student Gmail access.
What is not changing
Students will continue using district Chromebooks. Microsoft 365 works online, so students can use many tools on their Chromebooks.
This change does not affect family-facing systems. Families will continue to use:
- ParentVUE to review grades, report cards and student progress
- ParentSquare to communicate with teachers and receive school messages
Families do not need to use Microsoft Teams to communicate with schools.
Graduating seniors and students leaving Highline
Files for graduating seniors and students leaving the district will not be moved to OneDrive.
Students who are graduating or leaving Highline should use Google Takeout before the end of the school year to save any personal files they want to keep. Google Takeout allows students to copy files from their school account to a personal Google account.
Resources:
- Google Takeout: Transfer student files to a personal account (video tutorial)
- Google Takeout Step-by-Step (text instructions)
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