Pepperell School Building Committee Clears Safety Netting, Defers Bollard and Dugout Votes

PEPPERELL — May 6, 2026 — Pepperell School Building Committee advances discus safety netting while tabling stadium bollard and dugout fence decisions. The committee voted unanimously at its May 6 meeting to move forward with finalizing pricing on a 40-foot netting extension at the school's discus throwing area, after Athletic Director Dave described two incidents at a home track meet in which errant throws landed on the track among hundreds of athletes — "god forbid it ever hit somebody, it could kill them." Pricing from Sports Field Specialties, obtained through subcontractor Emmanuel, came in at $18,000 to $22,000. The committee also approved Change Order 56 totaling $29,815.20, covering stadium lighting, locker room ceiling paint, and a band room door lock, and voted unanimously to leave the school's exterior mirrored dimensional lettering unchanged after Principal Kristen reported no complaints from staff or students. A proposed gate-and-bollard redesign at the stadium entrance was tabled pending fire chief input and ADA compliance review, and a $68,000 to $70,000 dugout fencing proposal was sent back for revision to a fencing-only scope of roughly $27,000.