Ready to look ahead?  You can add these 2022-2023 dates to your family’s calendar now! 

Click to view and download the one-page 2022-2023 School Year calendar.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR 20122-2023

• First day of school – Wednesday, August 17, 2022
• Labor Day Recess/No School – Monday, September 5
• Fall Recess Days/No School – Friday, October 21 and Monday, October 24
• Election Day/No School – Tuesday, November 8
• Thanksgiving Day Recess/No School – Wednesday, November 23, Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25
• Winter Break/No School – Friday, December 23, 2022  – Friday, January 6, 2023
• School Resumes following Winter Break – Monday, January 9, 2023
• Martin Luther King Jr. Recess Day/No School – Monday, January 16
• Presidents’ Day/No School – Monday, February 20
• Spring Break/No School – Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7
• Election Day/No School – Tuesday, May 2
• Memorial Day Recess Day/No School – Monday, May 29
• Last Day of School for Students – Thursday, June 1

   

Remember to check the online version of the district calendar located on our home page throughout the year for updated information and more event details. As dates for school events are determined, they will be posted to the online Google calendar that is displayed on each school’s website. You can easily visit the school websites by clicking on SCHOOLS in the menu bar at the top of this page. 

The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees voted this morning to fill the two vacant Penn Township Board seats. The Board voted unanimously to appoint Mr. James Turnwald to Seat #1 filling the vacancy left by Mrs. Jaye Galloway. Mr. Turnwald will carry out the rest of the term, which is set to expire at the end of 2022. The Board also voted in a unanimous decision to appoint Mr. Ryan McCullough to fill the vacancy of Penn Township Seat #2, vacated by Mr. Jamie Woods. Mr. McCullough’s appointment will last through 2024. Both Mr. Turnwald and Mr. McCullough may choose to run for election for the ensuing four-year term with elections taking place in November 2022 for Seat #1 and November 2024 for Seat #2.

Mr. Turnwald serves as the Executive Director of the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) and a Board Member of the Potawatomi Zoo. He has a bachelor’s degree in Geography & Urban Planning from Miami University (Oxford, OH) and a master’s in Public Affairs from IUSB. He and his wife have four daughters, with two of their oldest enrolled at Meadow’s Edge. He brings a wealth of experience in civil government, planning, finance and infrastructure. As a P-H-M parent, he is passionate about education and supporting the growth and self-actualization of all students.

Mr. McCullough is a 1995 graduate of Penn High School. He attended Western State College of Colorado and was a member of the US Ski Team Freestyle 2004-2005. He works as a Sales & Marketing Executive for Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle out of Denver. Mr. McCullough and his wife, also a Penn grad, returned to Penn Township several years ago to raise their three children: Class of 2020 Penn grad, daughter at Schmucker, and son at Penn. Mr. McCullough is actively involved in the P-H-M community including volunteering as a Penn Freshman Football Coach.

Board President Mr. Christopher Riley said of the appointees, “The Board warmly welcomes Ryan McCullough and James Turnwald. The Board received many qualified applications and we thank all who applied. Ryan and James will be terrific members of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees. Both gentlemen are forward thinking, collaborative, and committed to the success of P-H-M. All Board Members are excited about working as a cohesive unit for the best interest of all P-H-M students and families.”

Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker added, “I am proud to welcome Mr. McCullough and Mr. Turnwald to the Board of School Trustees. They both exemplify passion and a commitment to excellence and the P-H-M Triangle of Success. I am confident that they will be outstanding, contributing members of our team.”

Mr. Turnwald and Mr. McCullough will be sworn in and take their Oath of Office of at the regular December 13 Board of School Trustees board meeting. Click here for a listing of all board meeting dates.

Mr. Turnwald and Mr. McCullough were chosen from among eight finalists. The other six finalists included Mrs. Anne Bolster, Mr. Vance Cole, Mr. Robert Hyde, Mrs. Ashley Leader, Mrs. Michelle Peters, and Mr. Andrew Tipton. Public interviews of these applicants took place during special board meetings held November 29 and 30. The final vote on the two appointees took place at a special board meeting held 8:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 1. The process the Board of School Trustees followed for filling the vacancies is posted on the P-H-M District website at this link:  https://www.phmschools.org/district-info/nov-2021/two-penn-twp-board-school-trustees-seats-vacant-school-board-seeking. The letters of intent and resumes of all 14 people who applied for the two Penn Township vacancies can be found here: https://www.phmschools.org/school-board/nov-2021/penn-twp-board-seat-appointee-applicants. 

Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees Mrs. Jaye Galloway, representing Penn Township Seat #1, and Mr. Jamie Woods, representing Penn Township Seat #2, both notified the St. Joseph County Office Clerk of the Circuit Court, P-H-M Board of School Trustees President Mr. Christopher Riley, and Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker of their resignations from the P-H-M Board of School Trustees effective Friday, November 5th, 2021. 

Mr. Woods term was set to expire at the end of 2024 and Mrs. Galloway’s term was set to expire at the end of 2022. Both were representing Penn Township.

Per Indiana Code 20-23-4-30, the remaining school board members must appoint an individual, in this case two, to fill the board vacancies within 30 days by a majority vote. The appointees 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 individuals appointed must possess the qualifications provided for a regularly elected or appointed governing body member filling the office. 

P-H-M bylaws po0142 lists the qualifications for P-H-M School Trustee appointees as the following:

• The appointees must be a resident of Penn Township and must also reside within P-H-M boundaries for at least two (2) years immediately preceding the date of appointment;
• must be at least 21 years of age per Indiana Code 20-26-4-9;
• and must also be registered voters.

Below are all the applicants that submitted letters of intent and resumes by the Wednesday, Nov. 17, 4:30 p.m. deadline. All applicants listed below were verified by P-H-M as meeting the qualifications listed above. 

• George Bashura
• Anne Bolster 
• Matthew Chaffee
• Vance Cole
• Nick Hardrict Sr.
• Robert Hyde
• Ashley Leader
• Ryan McCullough
• Michelle Peters
• Anthony (Andy) Rutten
• David Sammons
• Andrew Tipton
• James Turnwald
• Steven Witmer

The remaining members of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees met the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 17 to review all the applicants and choose finalists that will be called for the Board interview process.

The rest of the timeline is listed below:

• Thursday, November 18 – Finalists are contacted (via phone and/or email) to schedule an interview date/time.

   

• Monday, November 29, 6:00 p.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in the public to interview the final appointee candidates. 

   

• Tuesday, November 30, 6:00 p.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in the public to interview the final appointee candidates. 
   

• Wednesday, December 1, 8:00 a.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in the public to vote to fill the two vacant Penn Township Board positions. 
   

• Monday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds the regularly scheduled Board Meeting. The administration of the Oath of Office of the newest P-H-M School Trustees will take place at the beginning of this meeting.
   

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

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 prior to the expiration of their term, there is not a public election process. The Board chooses and names the appointees to fill these vacancies. 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.

Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees Mrs. Jaye Galloway, representing Penn Township Seat #1, and Mr. Jamie Woods, representing Penn Township Seat #2, have both notified the St. Joseph County Office Clerk of the Circuit Court, P-H-M Board of School Trustees President Mr. Christopher Riley, and Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker of their resignations from the P-H-M Board of School Trustees effective Friday, November 5th, 2021. 

Mr. Jamie Woods has been appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb to the St. Joseph County Superior Court and Mrs. Jaye Galloway will now devote all of  her time as the Director of Media Operations at the University of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish Media.

Mr. Woods has served on the P-H-M Board for 17 years and Mrs. Galloway for 13. Mr. Woods was elected to the Board in November 2004. He served as Board President for two terms during 2011 and 2012. The Board appointed Mrs. Galloway in March 2009 when Mr. Jim Burger resigned. Mrs. Galloway ran for reelection in 2010 for the 2011-2014 term and was reelected for two more terms. Mrs. Galloway served as Vice President for 2012 and 2014; in between, she served as President for a one year term in 2013. We thank Mr. Woods and Mrs. Galloway for their years of service and dedication to P-H-M. 

Per Indiana Code 20-23-4-30, school board members terms last four years. Mr. Woods term was set to expire at the end of 2024 and Mrs. Galloway’s term was set to expire at the end of 2022. Both were representing Penn Township.

Per Indiana Code 20-23-4-30, the remaining school board members must appoint an individual, in this case two, to fill the board vacancies within 30 days by a majority vote. The appointees 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 individuals appointed must possess the qualifications provided for a regularly elected or appointed governing body member filling the office. 

P-H-M bylaws po0142 lists the qualifications for P-H-M School Trustee appointees are the following:

• The appointees must be a resident of Penn Township and must also reside within P-H-M boundaries for at least two (2) years immediately preceding the date the appointment;
• must be at least 21 years of age per Indiana Code 20-26-4-9;
• and must also be registered voters.

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:

• Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 at the conclusion of the Board Meeting this information was posted to P-H-M’s website outlining the process to be considered a Board appointee to one of the two Penn Township vacated seats:
  • Interested appointee applicants must provide the following:
    • ​A letter of interest addressed to the P-H-M Board of School Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker
      • 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/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, 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. It can also be accessed by clicking here.

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

• Wednesday, November 17
  • ​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 Rachelle Bradbury at RBradbury@phm.k12.in.us.
    • All eligible appointee applicants should note that letters of interest and resumes will be placed on P-H-M website’s 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.
  • 6:00 p.m. – The Board of School Trustees meet in an Executive Session to review and discuss the applicant pool and make the final selection of at least three appointee candidates.
• Thursday, November 18
  • 9:00 a.m. – Letters of intent and resumes of all applicants will be placed on P-H-M’s website.
• Thursday, November 18 – Finalists are contacted (via phone and/or email) to schedule an interview date/time.
• Monday, November 29, 6:00 p.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in the public to interview the final appointee candidates. 
• Tuesday, November 30, 6:00 p.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in the public to interview the final appointee candidates. 
• Wednesday, December 1, 8:00 a.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds a Special Board Meeting in the public to vote to fill the two vacant Penn Township Board positions.  
• Monday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. – The Board of School Trustees holds the regularly scheduled Board Meeting. The administration of the Oath of Office of the newest P-H-M School Trustees will take place at the beginning of this meeting. 

All meetings will take place at the Educational Services Center (55900 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka). While the meetings are being conducted in the 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. Woods term was set to expire at the end of 2024 and Mrs. Galloway’s term was set to expire at the end of 2022. Both were representing Penn Township. The newly appointed trustees will complete these terms through December of the respective years. The appointees may choose to run for election for the ensuing four-year term with elections taking place in November 2022 for Seat 1 and November 2024 for Seat 2.

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 prior to the expiration of their term, there is not a public election process. The Board chooses and names the appointees to fill these vacancies. 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.

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation considers the health and safety of our school community as a top priority. As such, we are piloting a voluntary COVID-19 walk-up testing clinic. If a student, teacher, or staff member is symptomatic or quarantined due to exposure, they may receive a free BinaxNOW rapid antigen test for the COVID-19 virus. This program uses Abbott Laboratories BinaxNOW tests provided by the federal government.

Click here for the full document, including the consent form and what happens next after you receive results.

Who can be tested? 

• Symptomatic students, teachers, and staff within the first seven (7) days of symptom onset.  
• For close contacts to discontinue quarantine. May be used to test on days 5, 6, or 7 to be considered for early return to school with enhanced precautions on day eight (8) if symptoms are resolved.

The test cannot be used to:

•   Allow close contacts to return to school prior to day eight (8) 
• Serve as proof of negative COVID status to allow participation in extracurricular activities 
• Apply to symptomatic students, teachers, or staff greater than seven (7) days past symptom onset

Where can they be tested:  

• The walk-up clinic will take place at the P-H-M Bank Locker Room Building located on the corner of Bittersweet and McKinley Hwy (US20) near Penn High School. Parents and staff should enter off McKinley Hwy. 
• The clinic will be open when school is in session on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. No appointment is necessary. This will begin on Monday, November 1st.
• We will only test a student accompanied by a parent/guardian. Please bring the completed consent form to the clinic at the time of testing. Students or staff electing to participate in testing should plan to quarantine following the test until results are received. 

Click here for the full document, including the consent form and what happens next after you receive results.

U.S. News & World Report “Best Schools” Designations has recently expanded to include elementary and middle schools. With Penn High School earning a “Best High School” designation for several years, P-H-M now has several elementary and middle schools who also have earned this distinction! 

Ten of our elementary schools ranked in the Top 30% of Indiana’s public elementary schools earning the distinction of being named a U.S. News “Best Public Elementary School.” These rankings are for the state of Indiana:

1. Northpoint Elementary
​3. Prairie Vista Elementary
8. Mary Frank Elementary
11. Horizon Elementary
93. Bittersweet Elementary
136. Meadow’s Edge Elementary
157. Elm Road Elementary
177. Moran Elementary
256. Walt Disney Elementary
299. Elsie Rogers Elementary 

Two of our middle schools, Discovery and Schmucker, are also named “Best Public Middle Schools.” Discovery is ranked #4 in Indiana and Schmucker is ranked #96.
 

Here’s how U.S. News calculated the rankings:

For each state, schools were assessed on their pupils’ proficiencies in mathematics and reading, as measured by state assessment tests. Half of the ranking formula was the results themselves; the other half was the results in the context of socioeconomic demographics. In other words, the top-ranked schools are high achieving ones that succeeded in educating all of their students. All data for the rankings are from third-party sources, including the U.S. Department of Education.
 

U.S. News has published state rankings for more than 47,000 public elementary schools and more than 23,000 public middle schools. Most schools with an elementary school ranking offer grades K-5 or K-6, while most with a middle school ranking offer grades 6-8 or 7-8. Some schools with wider grade spans were ranked in both categories.

U.S. News has published an in-depth methodology article that provides more information about the rankings and how they were calculated. Data is based on the 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years.

Tonight (Monday, October 18) Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s Board of School Trustees overwhelmingly approved the contract with the district’s teachers. Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and P-H-M Administration presented the tentative agreement between the P-H-M Teachers Association (PHMTA) and the Corporation at tonight’s meeting.
 

Negotiations between the Penn-Harris-Madison Teachers’ Association (the PHMTA) and the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation took place in late September of 2021. A tentative agreement was reached on Thursday, September 30 and the PHMTA membership ratified the Agreement by an overwhelming margin on Monday, October 11. 

Under this agreement (effective retroactive to July 1, 2021 and running through June 30, 2022), P-H-M teachers’ starting salary will move from $41,000 to a very competitive $42,000. State law requires a minimum of $40,000. The new salary range for P-H-M teachers will now be from $42,000 to $72,348.

The agreement covers a one-year period from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. All teachers who have completed one or more years of experience will receive varying combinations of base salary increase and a one-time stipend shown in the following chart:

All Teachers will receive salary increases ranging from $1000 to $2,500, with an average increase of $1,650. Additionally, teachers with more than one year of experience will receive a one-time stipend ranging from $500 to $1,700. Teachers with five or more years of experience, who comprise approximately 77% of our teaching staff, will receive a total of $3,000 between an increase in salary and the one-time stipend.

There will also be a 2% increase in amounts paid to all Athletic and Extracurricular positions.

We are confident that this agreement will continue to support our talent acquisition and retention needs, and that our total compensation package remains a premier offering in our area.

The P-H-M Community Tailgate was held Friday, August 27 before Penn’s home opener football game against LaPorte. The popular annual event brings together members of the community, Penn faculty, staff and students, as well as parents and families from across the District. This was the 34th year for the event. Click to see the photo gallery below.

Penn fans and patrons showed up to enjoy the food and good times served up by the P-H-M Education Service Center Staff and Administrators. Unfortunately, Penn lost to LaPorte 21-14 in overtime.

If you missed the Community Tailgate this year, be sure to mark your calendar for next year. It’s always held the night of Penn’s first home game from 5:30-7:00 at the south end zone Zolman Concession Stand! 

See the photo gallery below. To download high-resolution jpg files, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you, free of charge!

It’s August and that means Kingsmen sports and Marching Band practices are in high gear.

To recognize the hard work they’ve already put in and to wish them luck for their coming seasons, Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker stops by all of the fall sports practices to hand out popsicles!

It’s an annual tradition that students have come to expect and look forward to. He’s been doing it for over 15 years! This year, Chief Operating Officer Aaron Leniski joined Dr. Thacker in handing out the frozen treats.

Today (Friday, August 13) we caught up with Dr. Thacker and Mr. Leniski as they handed out frozen treats to Penn Band members. 

In a nice show of solidarity, the Penn Kingsmen football players came to the band practice area to wish them well.

To download high resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you free of charge.

Next Wednesday, August 18 is the first day for 1st – 12th grades (August 19th for Kindergarten), but today P-H-M’s newest teachers went “Back to School!”

It was a busy New Teacher Orientation Day for this creative and talented group of 79 of P-H-M’s newest elementary, middle and high school teachers and Exceptional Education staff. A total of 84 new teachers were hired for the 2021-22 school year.

Here’s the stats on this year’s incoming teacher class:

• @25 have Master’s degrees
• @63 have received their Bachelor’s or Master’s from an Indiana College or University
• @27 are Penn High School graduates
• 350+ total years of combined experience

Browse the new faces below … your child may end up having them this year!