FELL TOWNSHIP -- It wasn't your average Monday morning at Fell Charter School near Carbondale. Teachers there are working without pay because the state has been without a budget for more than four months.
The day started with clapping from the 200 students at Fell Charter School, a show of appreciation because the teachers are working without pay.
"I'm happy the teachers are working for free because I get an education and I get to learn," said Adam Ocasio.
Fell Charter gets its money from school districts where students live. No state budget means no money to school districts, and therefore, no money to Fell.
Adam Ocasio gets to go to school anyway, because teachers here decided to work for free.
"For them to do that on their part is remarkable, if you ask me," said Carrie Chase.
Chase was there to drop off her son Andrew. While mom and Andrew are happy, Andrew has some reservations. To compensate for the money shut off, the school day is shortened, and Friday classes are canceled until the state gets its budget.
"We're losing an hour fifteen approximately, and the Fridays we're not in school, so we're losing learning time," said Andrew.
The eighth grader worries about a lack of prep time for state testing, plus private high school entrance exams.
Michelle Manzione teaches there, and calls the decision to teach without pay an easy one, but living without a paycheck won't be quite as easy.
"Student loans are being deferred, things like that," said Manzione. "We're adjusting; our budget is a little less. We're tweaking that. We'll make it work.
Manzione has taken a part time job to get by. She says many of her fellow teachers have done the same.
The teachers working without pay is more than a gesture of goodwill. It's also essential to keeping this charter school open.
"If we would close, we would definitely lose our charter, so closing is not an option. The governor has made it very clear that if charters decide to close, he will go after charters they have, so we won't close," explained Fell Charter School Principal Mary Jo Walsh.
Walsh admits that by shortening the day, and closing on Friday, already puts the school in violation of its charter. She doesn't expect any challenges and students are happy about that.