After a buildup dramatic enough to rival an episode of ABC’s serial drama, “Lost,” the workers from the School Age Child Care went before the Windham School Board last week to learn if the day-care program will be around next year.

And, just like the TV show, it ended in a cliffhanger.

After two hours of discussion at the Dec. 13 meeting, school board members voted 4-1 not to renew the contract that would allow the program to operate in Windham schools.

Instead, day-care members will meet with School Superintendent Sandy Prince in January to establish a price to pay to use school property. Windham’s policy on allowing groups long-term use of the school will also be revised.

“I think that we can come up with something that works in everyone’s favor,” said Diane Hancock, day-care director.

School Age Child Care is a private day-care program for Windham children from kindergarten to eighth grade. Now in its fifth year, it operates in the Manchester elementary, middle and high schools. The organization currently pays the school $5,250 each month for use of the three buildings.

Hancock said the program provides its own expendable resources, like art supplies and snack foods, and only uses several rooms in each school. It also pays staff between $8 and $10 per hour and charges $60 a week for each child enrolled.

Tempers have flared from both program supporters and critics, who say the organization has an unfair advantage over other day-care centers that pay significantly higher rates for space.

“We, as school board members, have been yelled at, sworn at, insulted and even questioned in our authority to govern this issue,” Jeffrey Vermette said at the Dec. 13 meeting. He added that this has been the least enjoyable topic for him in his seven years on the school board.

School board member Michael Duffy calculated that the school would charge School Age Child Care $18,000 each month if it rented each of the rooms it uses individually. He based his findings on the written policy that lists the cost to rent specific rooms in the schools.

The issue before the board was to approve a contract for next year where School Age Child Care would pay about $15,000 each month.

Hancock called this a “lose-lose situation for SACC.” She said the program would either be charged so much that it could not afford to operate, or be left without a contract with the school.

Hancock said the decision left her feeling “happier than I was coming” to the meeting.

Hancock said that her organization loses money with the middle school students it enrolls and has to subsidize money from the rest of the program. Hancock said very few of the 51 licensed day-care providers in the town accept middle school students.

School board members decided that the policy concerning businesses and organizations renting school space needs to be rewritten.

Vermette said if School Age Child Care is allowed to use school facilities, then under the current policy it would be unfair to turn other businesses away, including other day-care providers.

SACC: David Shuer, 6, speaks to the Windham School Board about the School Age Child Care program while his father Martin Shuer holds him up to the microphone. David told the board that the after school program is, “A great place to do homework.”