Jaffrey Afterschool Program finds new home

With more than a year of operation under its belt, the Jaffrey Grade School Afterschool Program has undergone some changes, including finding a new home base.

In December, the program, which is available to Jaffrey children from the ages of kindergarten to fifth grade, moved from the Jaffrey Grade School to the Recreation Department building at Humiston Field.

Program Coordinator Brenda Starr said it’s been a positive change for the program: More outdoor time and access to additional equipment.

The program runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The school bus delivers children from Jaffrey Grade School directly to the Recreation Department. The program is also open to Jaffrey residents who do not attend JGS if they provide their own transportation.

The program runs only on days when the Jaffrey Grade School is in session, and does not run when there is a cancellation or early release. It also does not run during school holidays, though Starr said the program hopes to add an option for care during April vacation next year.

Children are provided a snack and indoor or outdoor activities, including access to the Recreation Department’s toys and sports equipment.

“We’re small, but mighty,” said Starr. “The families we serve are very grateful that we’re here.”

When the program launched in fall 2024, it was based at Jaffrey Grade School, in part because community surveys indicated strong interest in after-school programming. Town officials anticipated enrollment could reach as many as 50 participants.

In a survey sent out to every family at Jaffrey Grade School in the spring of 2024, 41 families responded with feedback about their likelihood of using after-school care. Of the respondents, 56% said they would be very likely to use the program, 27% said they were likely to use it, and 5% said they would not use it. 

Previous after-school programs run several years ago by the Jaffrey-Rindge School District had participation between 40 and 50 students at the Rindge Memorial School and between 60 and 80 at the Jaffrey Grade School.

Jaffrey Town Manager Jon Frederick said those numbers were never truly realized for the new program. Currently, the program hosts 18 children, though not every child attends every day of the week, with an average of about 15 per day.

When the town added the program to its Recreation Department, the Select Board agreed to host it only if it could be self-sustaining and not require any tax dollars to support its annual $33,000 budget.

Frederick said that it is still the goal, but in the past year, enrollments alone haven’t been enough to cover the cost. Community sponsors, particularly the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club have pitched in donations to help cover the gap.

The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club has supported the program since it began in 2024 and on Tuesday, agreed to cover the remaining budget gap for the rest of the program through the end of the school year.

Frederick said this past year, the program ran about $13,500 short of its goal, covered by donations from the Rotary Club and the Alice Poole Fund. He said the goal for next year is to continue to increase participation, working toward a self-sustaining model.

But, he said, the Recreation Department still wants accessibility to be a main component of the program, and to that end, next year’s fees are expected to be the same as the current structure — $35 per week, per child.

“When you work that out, it’s basically $2.33 per hour, per kid. I don’t know how you beat that,” Frederick said.

Registration is still open for the remaining weeks of the school year for the afterschool program, and sign-ups for the fall semester will open in June. Registration for the program can be done online through jaffrey.recdesk.com.

Those interested in donating to support the Jaffrey Afterschool Program can do so by contacting Jon Frederick at the Jaffrey Town Office, or Recreation Director Samantha Bontempo.