Ensure developers can get a school-related object outside a request.

biscuit/core/util/core_helpers.py

 from importlib import import_module
 import pkgutil
 from typing import Optional, Sequence
+from warnings import warn
+
+from django.apps import apps
+from django.conf import settings
 
 from django_global_request.middleware import get_request
 
@@ -34,14 +38,28 @@ def get_current_school() -> Optional:
     request = get_request()
 
     if request:
-        if not hasattr(request, 'user'):
-            return None
-        if not hasattr(request.user, 'person'):
-            return None
+        # We are inside a web request, thus called from a public interface
 
-        if request.user.person:
+        if hasattr(request, 'user') and hasattr(request.user, 'person'):
+            # Use the same school as that of the logged-in user
             return request.user.person.school
         else:
+            # Set no school so no data is ever returned
+            # during an unauthenticated request
             return None
     else:
-        return None
+        # We are called from outside a request (probably shell),
+        # thus called from a private interface
+
+        School = apps.get_model('core.School')
+
+        if 'DEFAULT_SCHOOL' in settings:
+            # Use school defined in settings
+            return School.objects.get(pk=settings.DEFAULT_SCHOOL)
+        else:
+            # Use first school
+            warn('No school set, using first known school.', RuntimeWarning)
+            return School.objects.first()    
+
+    # Raise an exception because not finding a school wreaks havoc
+    raise RuntimeError('No school set or found. Check your database.')