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.