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<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; The teachers in the Dallas School District have been on strike since Nov. 14.</p><p>Some area residents, however, claim that the number of teachers picketing recently at the district&#8217;s buildings has been quite low. Dallas Education Association President Mike Cherinka said Wednesday that there is a simple explanation for that.</p><p>&#8220;Several teachers are using their time to volunteer for community service,&#8221; Cherinka said.</p><p>Some teachers are working with nonprofit organizations, such as Camp Orchard Hill in Dallas Township and Blue Chip Farm Animal Refuge in Franklin Township, he said.</p><p>&#8220;Some (teachers) are delivering lunches to low-income families,&#8221; Cherinka added.</p><p>Lisa Stull, food services director at Camp Orchard Hill in Dallas Township, confirmed on Wednesday that nine teachers volunteered to help prepare for the children&#8217;s Christmas party scheduled for Saturday. &#8220;I had five (teachers) in the morning and four in the afternoon,&#8221; Stull said.</p><p>Volunteering is not mandatory, but rather an option for teachers during the strike, Cherinka said</p><p>The strike can&#8217;t go beyond Dec. 13 without violating state law, which requires the strike end in time to let students complete 180 days of school by June 15. The Dallas Education Association could call a second strike in March,which must end in time for students to complete 180 days of school by June 30. The teachers&#8217; contract expired August 2015.</p><p>On the first day of the strike, nearly 175 teachers walked the picket line.</p><p>Teachers are not paid while on strike but will be compensated for their time by the end of the school year, Cherinka said.</p><p>About 165 teachers were picketing Wednesday, he said. He reported some called in sick, and others opted to spend their time volunteering &#8220;to do something positive for the community&#8221; during the contract negotiations.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">MArilyn Gregorski and other members of the community clap as Mike Messersmith makes points about the strike at Dallas High School. 11/28/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112916Dallas3.jpg</photo0><caption0>MArilyn Gregorski and other members of the community clap as Mike Messersmith makes points about the strike at Dallas High School. 11/28/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Some Dallas teachers volunteering in community during strike