The Windham School Board is poised to make a crucial decision at its Wednesday, Dec. 13 meeting over the nonprofit status of an after-school day care program that operates out of three Windham schools.

The School Age Child Care program accepts children from kindergarten to eighth grade and rents portions of the Manchester elementary, middle and high schools after the school day ends. The middle school branch of the program is called Cafe Teen.

Critics say they are unhappy that the school department recognizes SACC as a nonprofit 501(c)3 group and charges them significantly less than a business for use of the three schools.

SACC Director Diane Hancock said her organization is charged $525 each month for use of the three schools. SACC provides their own expendable resources, such as art supplies and snack foods, and only uses several rooms in each school. SACC also pays its staff and charges $60 a week for each child enrolled.

Hancock fears her organization, which was started with car washs, government grants, donations and a charity auction, will not be able to continue if it is charged the same rate as a business for use of the three schools.

Penny Arno, who runs the Musical Chairs Daycare out of her home on Partridge Road, said she supports SACC but feels they should pay a fair amount when they rent space to run their child care service.

Arno said that she, as well as many other of Windham’s 52 licensed day care providers, prefer to take care of children too young to enter school because school age children do not require enough time to make their care profitable.

“I’m lucky if I end with $2 an hour at the end of the year,” Arno said.

SACC staff members are paid between $8 and $10 per hour, Hancock said. Arno said the amount is justifiable because they have higher educational standards than home day care centers.

Shelley Cullens, who owns the Romp ‘n Rest Day Care behind the Windham Mall, said her business has not been affected by SACC.

Cullens said the average day care center in Windham charges $130 a week for full-time care. School age children, Cullens said, require less time and she charges them about $40 a week.

The issue will be decided at the next school board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the town hall.

SACC1: Middle schoolers Dominick Poulin, 11 and Brent Howard, 11 study in the Windham High School cafeteria as part of the Cafe Teen program of SACC.SACC2: Woody Laliberte, 11, gets some studying help from Jeff Ray Dionne, 15 as part of the Cafe Teen program of SACC in Windham. Dionne is one of two high school age students that help with the program.SACC3: SACC staff member Alicia Chandler of Raymond helps Aaron and Avery Anderson, 13 and 11 stay on task during study time while Connor Maines, 12, works on his homework in the background.