SOUTH BEND, Ind. – As many schools go to eLearning solutions for the fall semester of 2020, students at Coquillard elementary were observed to be in need of a proper workspace at home. The school decided to step in and hold a “desk distribution” event at no cost to families.

Part of eLearning is school supplies, a computer and internet access, but some students in the area didn’t have a proper area to work on.

"We are just doing what our Zone Chief, Dr. Cheryl Camacho, empowers us to do and that's remove all barriers that prevent success. Our staff saw students on the floor and in their beds because they did not have work spaces, so we are distributing desks,” said Dezha Moore, School Culture and Community Engagement Coordinator.

That all changed on Wednesday, September 9th as desks and chairs were made available to families for pickup from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the understanding they would be returned at the end of the school year.

Distribution continues into Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m. and the best part is school staff, including the principal, will be available to deliver desks if there is a transportation issue a family faces.

“Coquillard Elementary made the decision to offer the student desks to its families because of the need we noticed while observing students during eLearning. This is one of several efforts that the Empowerment Zone is undertaking to help ease the transition to eLearning at home and thank parents for creating learning environments in the house that are not only free from distractions, but properly equipped to help students succeed in their academics,” said Dr. Antoine Reed, Principal at Coquillard Elementary.

On Wednesday, 30 families picked up a desk which the school said was just sitting unused anyways, stored in the basement.

Coquillard expects to give out around 70 desks by the end of Thursday.