Mr. Settle,
I understand your situation and I have looked into the settings for Google Takeout. It seems that Takeout is not considered a core service of G-Suite. Therefore, according to the terms and conditions of Google G-Suite for Education, I am unable to enable this feature for any user under the age of 18 without permission. Enabling Takeout would require permission from the GKA Administrator and consent from parents. Unfortunately, the system does not allow for individual settings, so we would need to obtain consent from every student in Grades 11 & 12 in order to enable this for senior students. Realistically, this would not be possible.
However, there might be a potential workaround. You could try using Google File Stream and set up a two-way sync to bring the files down to your computer locally. Alternatively, you can continue using the “drag and drop” method that you mentioned.
I hope this helps.
Best regards, [Your Name]