School Board Seeking Applicants for Penn Twp., Seat 1 

Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustee Mr. Matthew Chaffee, representing Penn Township Seat #1, notified the St. Joseph County Office Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Board Attorney Jon Rogers of his resignation from the P-H-M Board of School Trustees effective October 8, 2025.

Mr. Chaffee was elected to serve on the PHM School Board in November of 2022.

Per Indiana Code 20-23-4-30, school board members’ terms last four years. Mr. Chaffee’s term was set to expire on December 31, 2026.

Per Indiana Code 20-23-4-30, the remaining school board members must appoint an individual to fill the board vacancy within 30 days by a majority vote. The appointee must live within the boundaries of the school corporation and Penn Township and shall serve the balance of the term of the seat being vacated. The individual appointed must possess the qualifications provided for a regularly elected or appointed governing body member filling the office. 

P-H-M bylaw po0142 lists the qualifications for P-H-M School Trustee appointees as follows:

• The appointee must be a resident of Penn Township and must also reside within Penn Township boundaries for at least two (2) years immediately preceding the date of the appointment;
• must be at least 18 years of age per Indiana Code 20-26-4-9;
• and must also be a registered voter.

Residency of Penn Township and the Corporation can be verified by clicking here to view the St. Joseph County township boundaries map. Applicants can check their voter registration status online at https://indianavoters.in.gov/ and print the page that shows their registration status.

Indiana Code 20-23-4-30 does not dictate the process by which the School Board fills vacancies, just that the vacated seats be filled within 30 days. It is at the Board’s discretion to choose the process by which they fill the vacant seats.

The timeline and the process is as follows:

• The process to be considered a Board appointee to one of the two Penn Township vacated seats:
  • Interested applicants must provide the following:
    • A letter of interest addressed to the P-H-M Board of School Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Heather Short
      • Full home address, personal phone number, and email address must be provided as part of the letter.
    • ​Recent resume
    • Copy of proof of age (copy of Passport, Indiana-issued ID, or Driver’s License)
    • Copy of proof of voter registration in St. Joseph County (applicants can check their voter registration status online at https://indianavoters.in.gov and print the page that shows their registration status)
    • Copies of two proofs of Penn Township residency for at least two years prior (proofs of residency must be tied to the home location, such as property tax statement, dated mortgage closing documents, apartment lease, or current utility bill). Click this link to view the St. Joseph County township boundaries map to help determine Penn Township and Corporation residency eligibility. 
    • Other supporting documents, such as reference letters, are optional.
    • When applicants submit their application materials, they will be provided with an Applicant Information Packet. 

*Please note that a preliminary background check will be conducted on all applicants, followed by a more comprehensive one once the finalists are chosen.

• Monday, October 20, 2025
  • APPLICATION WINDOW NOW CLOSED!
  • ​4:30 p.m.– Deadline to have all materials listed above submitted to the Educational Services Center (55900 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, IN  46545) either in hard copy form or emailed to Administrative Assistant to the Board, Rachel Hoogenboom, at rhoogenboom@phm.k12.in.us.
  • All eligible applicants should note that letters of interest and resumes will be placed on the P-H-M website after the submission deadline. Letters of recommendation and items that disclose personal information (such as voter registration, driver’s license, proof of residency) will not be posted or disclosed.

• Monday, October 20, 2025  – The Board of School Trustees meets in an Executive Session to review and discuss the applicant pool and make the final selection of at least three appointee candidates.

• Tuesday, October 21, 2025
  • Letters of intent and resumes of all applicants will be placed on P-H-M’s website.

• Tuesday, October 21, 2025 – Finalists are contacted (via phone and/or email) to schedule an interview date/time.

• Tuesday, October 28, 2025 – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in public to interview the final appointee candidates. 

• Monday, November 3, 2025 – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in public to vote to fill the vacant Penn Township Board position.  

• Friday, November 7, 2025 – The Board Attorney will administer the Oath of Office of the newest P-H-M School Trustee at the Attorney’s offices.  
• Monday, November 10, 2025 – The Board of School Trustees holds the regularly scheduled Board Meeting. The newest P-H-M School Trustee will participate in this meeting. A public Oath of Office will take place at the beginning of the meeting.

All meetings will take place at the Educational Services Center (55900 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka). While the meetings are being conducted in public and the public is welcome to attend and observe, public comment will not be part of the Special Board Meeting format.

Per Indiana Code 20-23-4-30, school board members’ terms last four years. Mr. Chaffe’s term was set to expire on December 31, 2026. The new appointee may choose to run for election for the ensuing four-year term, with elections taking place in November 2026 for Seat 1.

The P-H-M Board of School Trustees is a governing body of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation. School Trustees are elected by members of Penn, Harris, and Madison Townships unless otherwise appointed as outlined by Indiana Code. School Boards conduct the business operations of the school district in view of the public. 

We know there will be public interest in this process. We ask that all members of the public familiarize themselves with Indiana Code 20-23-4-30. In the case of Board vacancies, when a board member leaves before the expiration of their term, there is no public election process. The Board chooses and names the appointee to fill the vacancy. Indiana Code charges the Board to be thorough in their process, act swiftly, and to conduct the interview process in a format that the public can view. 

If you have any questions on Indiana Code or how this process works, please visit the Indiana General Assembly website or the website for Indiana’s Public Access Counselor.