In a special meeting held Tuesday, May 27, the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees unanimously (7-0) approved the appointment of Dr. Heather Short as the district’s next superintendent effective July 1, 2025.

Nearly 50 P-H-M teachers, administrators, staff, family and friends showed up to express their overwhelming support of Dr. Short’s appointment.

Dr. Short, a lifelong educator who has dedicated her entire 31-year career to P-H-M, will succeed Dr. Jerry Thacker, who is retiring after 19 years of transformative leadership. Dr. Short has served as Assistant Superintendent for Instruction since 2017. During her tenure, P-H-M students have experienced consistent academic growth and achievement.

“I am deeply honored by the Board’s confidence and grateful to Dr. Thacker for his mentorship throughout my career,” said Dr. Short. “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to grow as a leader within this incredible district. I’m excited to continue working alongside our talented staff, dedicated families, and exceptional students to expand opportunities and ensure every child thrives.”

Under Dr. Short’s leadership, P-H-M ranks in the top 4% of Indiana districts based on ILEARN scores. The district also outpaces the state average by 20 percentage points in overall percent passing rates.

“There is no one better—or more qualified—to lead P-H-M’s continued path of academic excellence than Dr. Short,” said Chris Riley, President of the Board of School Trustees. “Her academic expertise and visionary leadership in developing rigorous, relevant curriculum have been key to our students’ success. Dr. Short was the Board’s clear and unanimous choice for superintendent.”

P-H-M is home to some of Indiana’s highest-performing public schools in both English/Language Arts and Math. Prairie Vista Elementary ranks #3 in the state, while Discovery Middle School ranks #2. In Spring 2024, P-H-M’s IREAD pass rate was 86.8%, surpassing the state average of 82.5%. Three P-H-M elementary schools—Prairie Vista (97.7%), Northpoint (95%), and Horizon (95.3%)—achieved pass rates above 90%.

Included in her district-wide academic strategy was a robust Response to Intervention (RtI) program and expanded summer offerings that support both enrichment and remediation.

Dr. Short’s leadership journey reflects deep roots and unwavering commitment to P-H-M. She began her career as a classroom teacher before serving as an Instructional Leader and High Ability Coordinator. Click here to learn how Dr. Short and Board Trustee Katie Bell’s paths crossed when Dr. Short was a 3rd grade teacher at Northpoint. In 2004, she became principal of Prairie Vista Elementary. Recognizing her talent for professional growth and instructional excellence, Dr. Thacker appointed her in 2007 as P-H-M’s first Director of Professional Development—a role she held for a decade before being named Assistant Superintendent.

Throughout her career, Dr. Short has been deeply committed to developing others. She co-created a nationally recognized leadership development program designed to build internal capacity among P-H-M educators and administrators. Her strategic focus on professional development has empowered teachers at every level—from new educators to veteran principals—through initiatives like the annual Literacy Summit and the New Teacher Series.

As Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Short has combined her instructional leadership with strong fiscal stewardship. She has overseen the management of multimillion-dollar budgets and successfully secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grants—investments that have directly enhanced classroom instruction, expanded student programs, and strengthened districtwide operations.

“Dr. Short possesses one of the most valuable qualities a leader can have: the ability to build genuine relationships,” said Dr. Thacker. “She makes personal connections with teachers, principals, staff, families—and most importantly, students. She understands the P-H-M culture because she helped build it. There is no one more fitting to serve as the next superintendent.”

After the Board approved Dr. Short as the district’s new leader, Board members shared well wishes and comments. Trustee Katie Bell (elected in November 2024) talked about how things have come full circle for her as a former student of Dr. Short’s when she taught 3rd grade gifted and talented students at Northpoint. The two were actually featured in an article that ran in the South Bend Tribune in March 2003. The article featured Dr. Short teaching her students how to use PowerPoint for their Geography reports on Asia. Click here to read the original story.

Fast forward to 2013 to when Dr. Short was P-H-M’s Director of Professional Development, she interviewed Bell for a teaching position. Bell was hired as a kindergarten teacher in 2016 at Prairie Vista Elementary School and Dr. Short led the professional development for all new teachers. 

“Dr. Short and I are a testament that it’s never goodbye, it’s always see you later,” Bell said. “And I think that shows the true impact of a teacher, that they are in your lives forever, and that you will always remember them.”

Media Coverage

• South Bend Tribune
• ABC 57
• WSBT-TV
• WNDU-TV

P-H-M’s annual Employee Recognition and Retiree Dinner, held Wednesday, May 21st, was a time for the Corporation as a whole to honor d P-H-M’s Teachers of the Years, Employee of the Year, retirees, and employees who’ve been with P-H-M for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years.

Click these links to view the dinner program, photo gallery and videos of the TOYs and EOY.

This year the retiree group also includes longtime Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, who is retiring at the end of this school year. Way before becoming the district’s leader, a position he’s held for 19 years, Dr. Thacker was a 6th grade teacher at Madison Elementary School, where he taught for five-and-a-half years, before moving to Mary Frank Elementary to teach 5th and 6th grades for eight years. Some of his students from those years are now P-H-M School Board Members and teachers themselves. They and others paid tribute to Dr. Thacker’s commitment to education in this tribute video; click to watch the video below.

School Board of School Trustees Secretary Dana Sullivan was featured in the video. Board President Chris Riley thanked Dr. Thacker for his years of service to P-H-M. Board Members Gary Fox and Katie Bell were also on hand to applaud and congratulate Dr. Thacker and the other retirees, along with the employees for their years of service recognition.

Human Resources Director Bob Thompson served as Master of Ceremonies. Northpoint Principal Lorraine White gave the innovation. Dr. Thacker and Mr. Thompson honored this year’s retirees in attendance by giving them an award. To read the full list of this year’s retirees and employees honored for their years of service with P-H-M, click here to view the dinner program.

Dr. Thacker recognized the Elementary Teacher of the Year Prairie Vista’s Rose Montgomery and Secondary Teacher of the Year Schmucker’s L.A. High, and Employee of the Year Penn’s Whitney Hall.

L.A. High was not present because he was chaperoning students on the 8th grade trip to Washington, DC, but sent the video below to thank everyone for the award.

As part of the recognitions for Mrs. Montgomery and Mr. High, P-H-M Education Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Turnblom McClain gave each teacher a $1,000 grant from the P-H-M Education Foundation to use in their classrooms. Mrs. Hall received a gift certificate.

We thank Everwise Credit Union and the P-H-M Education Foundation for generously sponsoring the dinner. 

Click to watch the videos below about Mrs. Montgomery, Mr. High and Mrs. Hall.

A small sampling of pictures from the dinner is shown below. Click here to view the full photo gallery.

Learn more about becoming a Substitute Teacher or a Substitute Support Staff, click here.

Come to the Job Fair on Wednesday, Dec. 18 or apply online today.

Creating Optimum Learning Environments

P-H-M boasts top-notch facilities—safe, attractive, efficient, and well maintained. You can thank Director of Facilities Tom Hartman and Assistant Director John Corban for much of that! They work alongside a team of licensed tradesmen and skilled maintenance and custodial workers and groundskeepers, all of whom take great pride in their work.  

Their duties are broad—from new construction and remodeling to snow plowing and window washing—but the Facilities Department manages it all.  They also oversee environmental health measures that affect air quality and water quality. 

Parents trust the school district to maintain safe, healthy schools for their children, and the public trusts the school district to be a good steward of taxpayers’ assets—our buildings, grounds, and equipment. The P-H-M Facilities team works to preserve that trust.

Contact

Joe Winters, Director of Facilities  ♦ (574) 258-9540 ♦ jwinters@phm.k12.in.us

Jason Messner, Assistant Director of Facilities ♦ (574) 258-9508 ♦ jmessner@phm.k12.in.us

Debbie Casper, Administrative Secretary ♦ (574) 258-9566 ♦ dcasper@phm.k12.in.us

The goal of the Communications Department is to help students, parents and teachers work together to accomplish great things. 

Communications is at the very center of the Triangle of Success!

Inform and Engage

Director of Communications Lucha Ramey and her support staff endeavor to strengthen relationships and share information with all who have a stake in the educational process. That includes P-H-M staff, the school district’s patrons, the surrounding community, and the public at large. 

The Communications Department is prepared to help in any of these areas:

• News releases
• Media relations
• Event coordination and promotion 
• Marketing
• Print materials
• Website management
• Community relations
• Public speaking
• Social media
• Customer service
• Crisis communications
• Fact checking
• General inquiries

Also under the wing of the Communications Department is Community Education.  Visit the Community Ed page to browse the dozens of popular classes offered fall, winter, spring and summer. Offerings for children, teens, and adults are open to all community members, regardless of residency. 

Contact

Lucha Ramey, Director of Communications 

Feel free to reach out to Mrs. Ramey with any comments or questions.

 (574) 258-9558

 lramey@phm.k12.in.us

Leadership and Professionalism

Led by Associate Superintendent Dr. Denise Seger, the Business Services Department manages the district’s finances and oversees many of the operations that support the wellbeing of staff and students.

• The financial aspect includes the budgeting and control of general funds, specific funds, and certain grant monies, along with purchasing, accounts payable, insurance, investments and payroll. 

• The operations aspect includes food service, transportation, facilities, and energy management.  

In addition, the centralized Business Services Department supports the work of the bonded school treasurers based in each building.  

In large part, it is the outstanding work of Dr. Seger and her professional staff that keeps the educational mission on track and moving forward. 

Budget Work Session for Budget Year 2016

Dr. Seger and Mr. Newman presented P-H-M’s 2016 Budget for the year beginning January 1, 2016 and ending December 31, 2016 to the Board of School Trustees during their annual Budget Work Session on August 24, 2015.

In the presentation they identified this objective and this goal:

• Objective: Maintain expenses within the revenue streams provided
• Goal: Focus on programs and services for student achievement while providing a competitive compensation package for employees.

Dr. Seger and Mr. Newman also covered legislative changes, reviewed the budgets (General Fund, Rainy Day, Debt Service, Exempt Debt Service, Exempt Retirement/Severance Bond Debt Service, Capital Projects Fund, Transportation Operating, and Transportation Bus Replacement) and shared what the next steps in the budget adoption process would be.

• Here is the complete PowerPoint presentation from the August 24, 2015 Budget Work Session on Budget Year 2016.

Contact

The Business Services Department provides excellent customer service and welcomes inquiries!

• Dr. Denise Seger, Associate Superintendent ♦ (574) 258-9554 ♦ dseger@phm.k12.in.us
• Alex Newman, Business Manager ♦ (574) 258-9591 ♦ anewman@phm.k12.in.us
• Lisa Zachary, Administrative Assistant ♦ (574) 258-9522 ♦ lzachary@phm.k12.in.us

In keeping with Penn-Harris-Madison’s Vision of Excellence, we have an outstanding team of professionals who serve the unique needs of all of our students through our  Exceptional Education Division. We have a dedicated staff made up of school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists and preschool teachers.

Parents are integral part of P-H-M’s Triangle of Success that helps our students succeed. We value our relationships with our parents and have created the Exceptional Education Forum as another way to engage with our parents. 

In November 2018, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s Exceptional Education Department received its assessment by the Indiana Department of Education, Office of Special Education (IDOE/OSE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

As a Local Educational Agency (LEA), P-H-M’s Exceptional Education Department was found by IDOE/OSE  as “Meets the Requirements” of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Based on a local educational agency’s score on a number of criteria, it is then ranked in one of four categories of determination, with “Meets Requirements” being the highest category: 

1. Meets Requirements
2. Needs Assistance
3. Needs Intervention
4. Needs Substantial Intervention 

To determine if each LEA meets the requirements of Part B of the IDEA, IDOE/OSE has implemented Results Driven Accountability (RDA). This new form of monitoring began in November 2018.

RDA includes three elements: Results Elements (including federal results indicators and other assessment data); Timely Data Elements; and Compliance Elements. Data from these elements are then calculated, resulting in an RDA score, which in turn is used to make the determination.  

P-H-M had strong scores in the Results Elements matrix, and perfect scores in the Timely Data Elements and Compliance matrix which lead to the District receiving the “Meets Requirements” category—the highest category under the IDOE/OSE’s assessment.

Inclusion

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guarantees all children the right to free appropriate public education. That includes education for disabled students in the least-restrictive environment possible—not segregated and sequestered away from their peers.

Inclusion involves supporting students with disabilities through individual learning goals, accommodations, and modifications so that they are able to access the general education curriculum (in the general education classroom) and be held to the same high expectations as their peers.

Research shows that students with and without disabilities benefit both socially and academically from inclusion. Inclusion has benefits for students, teachers, and families.  High school students with disabilities achieve better outcomes in inclusive academic settings: Study examines results of special education placements in Indiana schools (Indiana University, Sept. 15, 2022)

Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, author, advocate, and independent scholar who works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. Paula is a former special educator who has served as a classroom teacher and inclusion facilitator.  Dr. Kluth presented to P-H-M principals on June 15, 2023 about providing appropriate services to students with disabilities within the classroom. Click here to view the presentation slides.

P-H-M’s Exceptional Education Department is located within Penn High School, 56100 Bittersweet Rd., and can be reached at (574) 968-9600.

THE DEPARTMENT STAFF INCLUDES:

• Exceptional Education Executive Director: Gena L. Todd
• Exceptional Education Program Supervisor (Middle School and High School): Beth Zachary 
• Exceptional Education Program Supervisor (Elementary): Rebecca Allen
• Lead Preschool Specialist: Meghan Murphy
• Penn High School Exceptional Education Academy Leader: Virginia Shafer
• Administrative Secretary: Mary Peterson
• Division Secretary: Angie Edwards
• Preschool Secretary: Jennifer Tebell
• School Psychologists: Travis Block, Erin Roe
• IEP Coordinators: Tammy Kenna, Kerry Van Renterghem

Click here to access a full P-H-M Staff Directory for email addresses.

P-H-M’s EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION DIVISION OFFERS MANY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING:

Penn PALS Community Preschool 

Eligible students aged 2½ to 5 years old who attend Penn PALS (Promoting Academic Learning Skills) will learn and grow!  Click here for more information or call (574) 968-9600. Register at any of the four locations: Bittersweet, Elm Road, Elsie Rogers and Mary Frank Elementary Schools. 

Free Speech and Language Screenings

P-H-M offers free speech and language screenings for three, four, and five-year old children who reside within the school district’s boundaries. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Links to Parent Support Groups

Healthcare services in Penn-Harris-Madison schools are provided by St. Joseph Regional Medical Center utilizing both registered nurses and health aides. Healthcare providers respond to emergencies and work with students and parents to improve student wellness in order to support learning. All of our schools are staffed with health aides and registered nurses are available either on-site or shared between buildings. 

Our school health services program strives to keep your students safe and healthy at school. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call the school and speak to a school health services colleague. Please call and speak to your school health office if your child has a health condition requiring medication or an individualized health care plan. The health aide can put you in touch with your appropriate school nurse.  

Now is not too early to begin thinking about the upcoming school year!

P-H-M’s Healthcare Services oversee and assists families with the following:

• Immunization Requirements

• Forms for administering medications at school

• Special dietary needs in the school breakfast or lunch program

• Facts about Lead Poisoning

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

• Bittersweet Elementary School, (574) 259-6341, FAX: (574) 254-2866
  • Health Aide: Candace Squibb, csquibb@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Lorna Pullen RN, lpullen@phm.k12.in.us
• Elm Road Elementary & Preschool, (574) 259-3743, FAX: (574) 258-9384
  • ​Health Aide: Beth Clark, eclark@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Jessica Shuppert, jshuppert@phm.k12.in.us
• Elsie Rogers Elementary & Preschool, (574) 259-5231, FAX: (574) 254-9087
  • Health Aide: Brittany Watson, bwatson@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Sarah De Lee, sdelee@phm.k12.in.us
• Horizon Elementary School, (574) 679-9788, FAX: (574) 674-8395
  • ​Health Aide: Amy Post, apost@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Shelley Largen, slargen@phm.k12.in.us
• Madison Elementary School, (574) 633-4531, FAX: (574) 633-4987
  • Supervising RN: Sarah De Lee, sdelee@phm.k12.in.us
• Mary Frank Elementary & Preschool, (574) 272-0340, FAX: (574) 273-3806
  • Health Aide: Linda Rayl, lrayl@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Sarah De Lee, sdelee@phm.k12.in.us
• Meadow’s Edge Elementary School, (574) 255-9347, FAX: (574) 968-6005
  • Health Aide: Melissa Paczkowski mpaczkowski@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Sarah De Lee, sdelee@phm.k12.in.us
• Moran Elementary School, (574) 674-8504, FAX: (574) 674-4375
  • ​Health Aide: Kristen Calvert, kcalvert@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Rachel Ransom, rransom@phm.k12.in.us
• Northpoint Elementary School, (574) 271-8598, FAX: (574) 968-6003
  • ​Health Aide: Teresa Jellison, tjellison@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN:  Rachel Ransom, rransom@phm.k12.in.us
• Prairie Vista Elementary School, (574) 271-0055, FAX: 574) 273-1846
  • ​Health Aide: Caylynn Hickey, chickey@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Rachel Ransom, rransom@phm.k12.in.us
• Walt Disney Elementary School, (574) 259-2486, FAX: (574) 257-8468​
  • ​Health Aide: Char’da Nelson, cnelson@phm.k12.in.us
  • Supervising RN: Rachel Ransom, rransom@phm.k12.in.us

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

• Discovery Middle School, (574) 674-6010, FAX: (574) 679-4214
  • ​Shelley Largen, RN, slargen@phm.k12.in.us
• Grissom Middle School, (574) 968-9628, FAX: (574) 633-2134
  • Jessica Shuppert, RN, jshuppert@phm.k12.in.us
• Schmucker Middle School, (574) 259-5661, FAX: (574) 259-0807
  • ​​Lorna Pullen, RN, lpullen@phm.k12.in.us
  • Health Aide: Brenda Paredes, bparedes@phm.k12.in.us

HIGH SCHOOL

• Penn High School, (574) 254-2834 or 258-9500, FAX: (574) 258-9543
  • ​Sally Dikos, RN, sdikos@phm.k12.in.us
  • Andrea VanHimbergen RN, avanhimbergen@phm.k12.in.us
  •  Lindsay Latkowski RN, llatkowski@phm.k12.in.us

Lindsay Latkowski RN, BSN, is the Manager of School Health Services for P-H-M can be reached at llatkowski@phm.k12.in.us​​ or (574) 323-1305, Fax: (574) 335-0660. Please contact your school healthcare staff for assistance with your child’s healthcare needs, for example medications that need to administered at school. Please do not contact Nurse Latkowski for individual student healthcare issues.