How do you bypass the apple id activation on a Mac?

The simplest solution would be to create an Apple ID and enter it.

Were these Macs purchased by the school - or were they donated and you are just updating them to mavericks because it i free.

Some schools have stopped taking donated windows computers because of problems with software licenses.

The school should have an apple ID that would be the administrators ID.

You would use the administrator log in to setup student log in's and authority - the students would each have their own logins with less capability - you wouldn't want them updating each others stuff.

What prompt? When you first install the OS, it bugs you for Apple ID, but you can just skip it. It shouldn't be bugging you every day.

Is this the user ID and password prompt when the Mac is first turned on for the day?

Bad install, maybe from a cloned system. Reinstall clean.

Yes, as DieselFuelForLife said, this is probably a bad install.

Also, you don't need to turn off the computers every day. Put them in sleep, they consume less than 2watts in that mode.

kellyfromKatrinaland wrote:

The school ordered the computers and set them up

Bummer. That's your problem. They were setup incorrectly. I can't tell you what was done wrong because I don't have all the details of your configuration. I have seen other, similar setups that work fine.

You seem to be taking the correct route if you have typical Mac-hostile, incompetent IT staff. Here is a post to fix this problem for Mountain Lion. It should be easy to adjust for Mavericks.

Instead of using your own ID you should have set up an ID for the school.

Are these hooked up to the internet? It may be asking for that login to make the connection - so you may have to setup that connection for each student.

As these are new, call Apple Support and explain that you are the system administrator for the Lab and you need help fixing the problem and removing your ID and fixing the setup.