iPad Drained Battery/Activation Lock

I have a fleet of iPads set up under one Apple ID for loaning to our students to trial communication apps. The apps are assigned directly to each mobile device through our MDM, but we use Apple ID for "Find My iPad".

Everything has been working WONDERFULLY for the past few years, however I am noticing a lot of activation-lock problems this school year. There are several generations of iPads within this pool, operating on different iOS (9.3.5, 10.3, and 11+). If an iPad is drained of battery, it goes into activation lock and requires the Apple ID/Password.

The Apple ID information for these devices is not shared with the teachers overseeing the device, so I need to troubleshoot over the phone to get the device up and running again.

Has anyone else had Activation Lock issues similar to this? Perhaps it's because so many devices are signed under one Apple ID?