Deerfield School Committee awards $151,500 playground contract to South Hadley firm

WHATELY -- May 21, 2026, Deerfield School Committee awards $151,500 playground contract and updates nutrition policy at May 21 meeting. The committee unanimously approved a package of five motions awarding the playground renovation contract to Haber Brothers Inc. of South Hadley, $139,000 base bid plus a $12,500 add alternate to resurface the basketball court, and authorizing Superintendent Darius Modesto to execute the contract and approve change orders up to $50,000. The full project, which includes separately purchased equipment ($92,000) and rubber surfacing ($183,000) procured on state contract to avoid contractor markup, is projected to cost roughly $457,000 against a pre-bid estimate of $512,000, with $227,595.80 funded through school choice reserves and $200,000 from a Community Preservation Act grant. Business Manager Shelley reported 35 warrants totaling $291,452.16 since March, flagging a $40,000 electricity overage caused by six classrooms heating with mini-split units after air-handling failures, and noted only $17,000 remains in the general fund with year-end obligations still pending. The committee also took a first reading of five MASC-recommended policy updates, most notably a new state-mandated restraint policy that eliminates staff authority to block students from leaving timeout spaces, a change administrators said will likely increase the use of physical restraint for highly dysregulated students.