Over the course of the 2025-2026 school year, the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) is phasing out Windows 10 in favor of Windows 11, a change that could affect the school desktops the Golden Arrow Newsmagazine relies on.
The Golden Arrow website and print publication rely on the journalism classroom’s school-issued desktops, which currently run on Windows 10. Staff have been informed that if these computers continue to operate on Windows 10, they may gradually slow down and eventually stop working, with a shutdown expected by the end of the school year.
This update is happening primarily due to security concerns and the district trying to protect student and staff accounts.
“The reason why we’re updating for Windows 11 is for security. So when students are logging in or sending emails, it’s actually protected,” vice principal Calvin McDonald said. “Since we’re no longer having Windows 10, [information and technology] (IT) would not be able to provide the support that they would with Windows 11 moving forward.”
With the Windows 11 update, IUSD technology will be safer from viruses and hackers.
However, some groups that rely heavily on technology have not yet had the opportunity to benefit from the update. The Golden Arrow staff still works with Windows 10 and is uncertain of what will happen due to limited options for replacing the technology. While the staff could continue using these desktops despite their vulnerability, they would still face reduced access to IT support.
This reduced technological support and threat of slower or even unusable computers remains a serious concern, as student journalists rely on these classroom desktops for layouts, editing, publishing and meeting their deadlines.
“Everything is now technology based and I think that’s just where we’ve gone and where we’re still heading,” former Golden Arrow advisor Jeff Alexander said.
The desktops allow students to complete each step of the publication process efficiently, from writing and editing stories to preparing the online and print magazine.
Without access to up-to-date desktops, production could slow down.
“It could be produced without the computers and such, but it would be just more time-consuming,” Alexander said. “And with journalism, there are tight deadlines.”
Due to strict deadlines and quick turnaround times, having efficient computers is essential; there is very little time to make up for lost work if staff fall behind.
Some students have expressed worry as they look to the program’s future.
“I feel concerned that because technology is removed too soon, journalism will become harder at first,” freshman and beginning journalist Dwayne Nguyen said. “Staff members may struggle to work without tech issues and also work will be slower.”
The magazine staff may be able to adapt by using personal computers or other available technology, but the transition would temporarily affect production and deadlines. If this adjustment is feasible, it would need to happen over a school break to avoid disrupting publication.
Although this is a temporary solution, working at home or on personal computers disrupts the collaboration that is needed to produce a final product. In class, illustrators, writers, photographers and editors all work together to build each story and format the layouts, so by forcing editors to work at home, both quality and efficiency go down. Also, when working at home, editors have less time to do their job because rather than having 90 minutes in class to finish their work, they now have to work around their busy schedules to get stories published.
While the Golden Arrow staff can continue using the Windows 10 desktops for now, the devices are outdated and support will be limited.
“Technical support for journalists relying on Windows 10 may be minimal,” McDonald said. “And their device may be vulnerable due to out of date security software.”
At this time it is unclear when or if the student journalists will receive replacement computers that will function at the efficiency they are used to. McDonald emphasized the importance of communication between students, advisors, and IT staff to search for a solution to this problem.
Currently, the Golden Arrow staff have been collaborating with IT searching for temporary fixes until a solution is found.
Despite this uncertainty, students remain committed to producing the Golden Arrow at a high level of quality. Staff are preparing to adapt to aging and eventually updated technology while continuing to meet deadlines and produce the quarterly publication. Journalists and Golden Arrow advisor Kristina Maki are focusing on collaboration with different departments at Woodbridge High to ensure the program can continue to provide a platform for student voices and stories within the Warrior community.
Beginning journalists continue to be excited about joining the Golden Arrow staff as they start their final semester of beginning journalism, even amid the technological challenges.
“Joining The Golden Arrow excites me because it lets me create stories and share ideas, even with the tech problems,” Nguyen said. “I’m eager to learn new skills and contribute to something that informs and connects our school community.”
