FELL TOWNSHIP -- A charter school in Lackawanna County is expected to stop paying its teachers next month and the school week will be cut back. It's all because Pennsylvania continues to be a state without a budget.
Fell Charter School near Carbondale receives state funding for each of its 180 students, kindergarten through eighth grade, but they haven't received a dime since August because of the state budget impasse.
This week, Principal Mary Jo Walsh went to her staff with a tough decision.
"Our options were to not work and you would have to shut down the school, or for them to stay and they all said, 'We'll stay. We'll keep working.' So nothing from that perspective changes, except I have a bunch of volunteers working in my building," Walsh said.
Starting November 2, the teachers at Fell Charter will work without pay until a state budget is in place. To cut down on other costs, the school will also go down to a four day a week schedule, with Fridays off.
"It's putting more pressure on them as 10 and 11 year olds, just as it's putting pressure on us as adults," said fifth grade teacher Jeff Swartwood.
Swartwood says he'd rather stretch his budget than have his students out of the classroom.
"You've just got to put your best foot forward, budget your money the best way you can, and hopefully it stays warm for a couple more months," he said.
Fell Charter has had trouble covering all of its expenses including supplies like copier paper, notebooks, and pens. Parents have stepped up and donated supplies.
"They're putting the kids before themselves and therefore I'm very proud that they're doing that and I'm very happy I picked this school," said Elissa Rose of Carbondale.
Parents we talked to say they're planning to continue pitching in while the professionals charged with teaching their kids do so voluntarily.
"The Facebook posts and the phone calls and the emails have all been positive, that they understand that this is the best of a worst situation. So it's been kind of heartwarming today, but still stressful," Walsh said.
Fell Charter School is expecting to be reimbursed when a state budget is passed, whenever that may be. Teachers are hoping lost school days won't have to be made up.