Penn-Harris-Madison operates three preschool programs: Early Learning Academy (ELA), Penn PALS and Preschool Academy

Click here to learn more about ELA. 

Click here to learn more about Penn PALS. 

Click here to learn more about Preschool Academy. 

Our programs are research-based that focus on building children’s strong foundations for school success focusing on social, emotional and cognitive learning through a variety of tools. Preschoolers spend time in role-play, which has shown to lead to higher measures of creativity and cognition.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation takes bullying seriously. Every staff member is required to report any situation believed to be bullying behavior. All students and parents are encouraged to report any situation that they believe to be bullying.  

The school district has put in place the tools, training and guidelines to help staff recognize and respond to bullying when it occurs. What is bullying? This parent resource webpage helps define Bullying: What to know & do.

Below are other resources to help students and families:

• Indiana statutes on bullying – A number of laws are in effect to protect Hoosier children
• Indiana Dept. of Education Resources  – Guidance for parents for reporting bullying and cyberbullying incidents
• P-H-M Board Policy 5517.01 – Our local policy is aligned with the state statutes
• Student Code of Conduct – These standards of student behavior are laid out in the Student Handbooks and are an expectation for every P-H-M student to follow at all levels.

Parents: It's important we have correct contact information for you. 

Please don’t assume that the contact information we have on file for you is up to date.  Take a moment to verify that it is by following these steps:  

• Sign in to your Skyward account
• Click on the Emergency Contact tile at the far right portion of your screen
• Follow the prompts to fill out, double check or correct your child’s guardian and emergency contact information
• You can also contact your child’s school and provide the information/request a correction
   

Click here for step-by-step Family Access login instructions.

You can also get with your Skyward account by emailing the Skyward Helpdesk at familyaccess@phm.k12.in.us. 

When a two-hour delay is announced, both bus transportation and school start times will be affected. Buses will follow the same routes, but will make all scheduled stops to pick up riders two hours later than normal.

Click to view the middle school 2-hour delay schedules.

Click here for Penn’s 2-hour delay schedule.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND

• Students dropped off too early cannot be supervised and may not be safe. Most schools allow for a 15-minute drop off period ahead of the opening bell.  
• Lunch is served on these days, although it’s possible the rotation of students through the school cafeteria may be altered.  

• Medication will be given at the usual prescribed times unless a written note is sent in by the parent indicating a change.

• Dismissal takes place at the normal hour. The school day is not extended. 

• The Educational Services Center (ESC) opens/operates normally, without a 2-hour delay. Patrons who need help may call the district’s switchboard operator at 574-259-7941 for assistance.  

​

Canvas is an online learning management system (LMS).

P-H-M teachers use it to publish assignments, post grades, and share various educational resources with the students in each of their classes. The information in Canvas is also available to parents! Some parents log in daily to see their student’s assignments and progress toward completing coursework. Others sign up to receive automatic notification about certain events, such as assignment due dates.

Chosen to support the district’s Chromebook initiative, Canvas delivers much of the coursework that Penn High School students pull up on their digital devices. Our middle school students also carry their own Chromebooks and rely on Canvas for easy access to coursework and a secure way to communicate with their teachers. 

The parents of elementary students are now becoming Canvas users and have the same advantages. Although K-5 daily lessons and learning materials may not be posted there, Canvas will be the “go to” place for eLearning on those days our schools must close due to severe weather.

We encourage elementary parents to test their Canvas log-ins now and become familiar with the program’s features before the snow flies!

CANVAS USERS: Here’s the link to the Canvas log-in page. 

• Canvas works with the same username as Skyward Family Access.
• You will need to set your password on the first visit to Canvas by using the “forgot password” link.  
• These accounts stay in place, so returning users do not need new log-in information each year!

If you did not receive or you lost your email, you may contact the school for another copy or you may email FamilyAccess@phm.k12.in.us for help. 

PARENTS NEW TO CANVAS: Here are answers to some of your frequently asked questions!

How is Canvas different from Skyward?

Canvas is the online “home” for coursework and communications, including a calendar that shows key dates and deadlines. Canvas may contain scores for specific assignments, quizzes or projects.

Skyward is the official grade reporting program for P-H-M. Skyward displays a cumulative grade for a class as well as some attendance and discipline information.  Not all the classroom information that is stored in Canvas is carried forward to Skyward. Currently Skyward is being used to show assignments and grades at the high school and middle schools, but not at our elementary schools. Elementary parents have been invited to use Skyward though to view and update their student’s emergency and contact information.  

The best way to understand the differences is to use the two programs and see for yourself!

What makes Canvas a great resource for students? Teachers? Parents?

Students are better able to find, organize and plan their work. Parents can find the answer to the question Do you have any homework?—and many others! Teachers can respond to questions, adjust dates and add resources.  All of this makes the learning experience more flexible and more engaging.

Where is Canvas?

Students get there easily with a shortcut loaded on their Chromebooks.  For parents, a link to the Canvas login screen is here and can also be found on the district’s website and each of the school’s websites.

Here’s where to find Canvas when browsing:

Discovery Middle School            

        RESOURCES > A-F > CANVAS

Grissom & Schmucker Middle Schools      

        STUDENTS > RESOURCES > CANVAS

Penn High School                        

       STUDENTS > RESOURCES > CANVAS

P-H-M’s home page                    

       PARENTS > PROGRAMS & RESOURCES > CANVAS

This brief slideshow will also help P-H-M parents who are new to Canvas! 

Penn-Harris-Madison is pleased to be able to offer enrollment to non-resident students on a limited basis. 

Families who live in neighboring school districts are excited about the opportunity for their children to attend a P-H-M school and get an excellent education!  Once admitted, they have access to every program and benefit resident students enjoy, except bus transportation from their home. The option to attend a P-H-M school remains in place as long as the student remains in attendance and in good standing.  It is our intention all non-resident students we serve will graduate as Penn Kingsmen!

The state law that supports non-resident enrollment requires that a district list the grade levels where openings exist and establish dates when applications will be accepted for those openings.

The non- resident window to apply for the 2025-2026 school year has now closed.

The window to apply for available seats will open Monday, March 3, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. and close on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.  Applications must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. and will only be accepted during this window. The applications we receive will be considered in accordance with P-H-M Policy 5111 and Indiana Code 20-26-11-32.  There is no first-come, first-served advantage. 

Please read through ALL the information listed below before making your selections.

The following elementary schools are accepting applications for KINDERGARTEN for the 2025 – 2026 school year:

• Bittersweet- 6 seats
• Elm Road – 6 seats
• Elsie Rogers – 6 seats
• Horizon – 15 seats
• Madison – 4 seats
• Mary Frank – 4 seats
• Meadow’s Edge – 10 seats
• Moran – 6 seats
• Northpoint – 9 seats
• Prairie Vista – 10 seats

The following elementary schools are accepting applications for First Grade for the 2025 – 2026 school year:

• Bittersweet – 6 seats
• Elm Road – 5 seats
• Elsie Rogers – 4 seats
• Horizon – 5 seats
• Madison – 8 seats
• Mary Frank – 9 seats
• Meadow’s Edge – 3 seats
• Moran – 3 seats
• Northpoint – 10 seats
• Prairie Vista – 8 seats

The following elementary schools are accepting applications for Second Grade for the 2025 – 2026 school year:

• Bittersweet – 6 seats
• Elm Road – 3 seats
• Elsie Rogers – 2 seats
• Horizon – 8 seats
• Madison – 1 seat
• Mary Frank – 9 seats
• Meadow’s Edge – 3 seats
• Moran – 3 seats
• Prairie Vista – 8 seats
• Walt Disney – 8 seats

The following elementary schools are accepting applications for  Third Grade for the 2025 – 2026 school year:

• Elsie Rogers – 3 seats
• Horizon – 5 seats
• Madison – 2 seats
• Mary Frank – 6 seats
• Northpoint – 2 seats
• Prairie Vista – 4 seats

The following elementary schools are accepting applications for Fourth Grade for the 2025 – 2026 school year:

• Elsie Rogers – 6 seats
• Northpoint – 4 seats
• Prairie Vista – 8 seats

The following elementary schools are accepting applications for Fifth Grade for the 2025 – 2026 school year:

• Mary Frank – 3 seats

If P-H-M receives more applications than seats available at any of the listed schools, in compliance with Indiana Code 20-26-11-32, a drawing will be scheduled for these seats on the morning of March 28, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at the Educational Services Center.  The drawing will be open to the public.

All applicants will be notified via email of the need for a public drawing by March 24, 2025.  If there is not a public drawing, the guardian of the students who applied will receive an email by March 27, 2025 asking them to register on or before May 2, 2025.

At the Public Drawing, each student will be assigned a number for each location that was chosen on the application.  The number assigned to those students who have submitted an application to attend one of the P-H-M schools listed will be placed into a bin by location and grade level.  The numbers assigned to each applicant will be drawn to fill the available seats.  After all the numbers have been drawn for the available seats per location and grade level, the remaining numbers will be pulled from the bin and placed on a waiting list in the order that their number was drawn.

The guardian of all applicants will receive an email message after April 14, 2025 to the address entered on the application indicating if they were placed at a P-H-M school or on a waiting list.  The students chosen to fill the seats will be required to register on or before May 2, 2025.  On May 5, 2025, if one or more of the available seats has not been filled, P-H-M will contact the names in order on the waiting list via the email entered on the application.

If your student is placed at one of the available P-H-M schools, P-H-M will NOT accept a transfer request to any other P-H-M school.
Parents/guardians agree that they are responsible for the transportation of their non-resident student(s) to and from school.  They understand that final approval of non-resident status is subject to approval by the district.  Parents/guardians agree that continuation of non-resident status is contingent upon their child(ren) maintaining attendance and behavior requirements as defined in Indiana Code 20-26-11-32.  Non-Resident Student requests will be reviewed each school year.  All students accepted on non-resident status will be asked to submit an Intent to Continue form annually.  Enrollment may be granted for a period of one school year (July 1 – June 30).  Non-resident admission will not automatically carry over to subsequent school years.

Please click the links below to complete the online Non-Resident application forms for the 2025 – 2026 school year:

Kindergarten Non-Resident Application

First Grade Non-Resident Application

Second Grade Non-Resident Application

Third Grade Non-Resident Application

Fourth Grade Non-Resident Application

Fifth Grade Non-Resident Application

Additional notes about non-resident eligibility:

o For new non-resident families, applications will be accepted only for those grade levels with posted openings and only within the stated application timeframe. 
o Applicants must further meet these two requirements:
o The family must reside within the state of Indiana (Michigan residents are not eligible)
o To be considered for a kindergarten opening, the child must have turned 5 on or before September 1, 2025.
o Resident students attending a P-H-M school in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade who subsequently move outside the district within the state of Indiana may be approved to continue in attendance as non-residents without participating in the public application process. It is necessary to complete this form initially and then to submit an “Intent to Continue” form each year thereafter.  (Michigan residents are not eligible).
o A non-resident student whose behavior violates the P-H-M student code of conduct and results in formal disciplinary action or the student has a history of unexcused absences, may be denied the option to return. 

Here are the most common questions associated with non-resident enrollment:

● Are non-residents charged an application fee or tuition costs?
There is no tuition or additional expense for our non-resident students. Those families may expect to pay for the same things our resident families pay for such as lunch and extracurricular costs. And non-resident families are eligible to apply for the same types of fi nancial assistance as resident families; for example, the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program.
● Is bus transportation provided for students who live outside the district?
We do not provide school bus service outside our district. Many of our non-resident students are driven to and from school by parents, while others have arranged car pools. Kids Club, P-H-M’s before- and after-school childcare program is available at ten of our eleven elementary schools and is a big help to parents whose children are not bus riders.
● Once enrolled, must non-residents reapply each year thereafter?
Each year we ask our non-resident students to complete the “Intent to Continue” form. It is our hope that our non-resident students will remain at P-H-M for their entire public education. We base our staffing on the expectation that non-resident students will move with their classmates from elementary to middle to high school.

If you have other questions, please contact us at admissions@phm.k12.in.us

Penn High School

• Melanie Dell 

• Raenelle Hamilton

• Kay Wood

• Stephanie Vetne​

• Janet Farias (substitute)

• Brad Meier (substitute)

• Erin Murphy (substitute)

• Dora Madsen 

• Christine Rutherford

• Darcy Bloss (substitute)

• Amy Shrout (substitute)

Grissom Middle School

• Janet Farias

• Joan Renbarger

• Liz Whitelegg

• OPEN (substitute)

Schmucker Middle School

• Rose Kallookulangara

• Erin Murphy

• OPEN (representative)

• Brad Meier (substitute)

Bittersweet Elementary School

• LeAnn Bruntz

• Amy Van Hoveln

• OPEN (substitute)

Elm Road Elementary School

• Julie Zumbrun

• Georgia Gill-Elkin

• OPEN (substitute)

Elsie Rogers Elementary School

• Darcy Bloss

• James Savannah

• OPEN (substitute)

Horizon Elementary School

• Ginny Schackow

• Jen Turnblom

• Sara Chrobot (substitute)

Madison Elementary School

• Allison Laidig

• Beth Pogue

• OPEN (substitute)

Mary Frank Elementary School

• Billie Limberopoulos

• OPEN (representative)

• OPEN (substitute) 

Meadow’s Edge Elementary School

• Katy Balog

• Sheena Schramski

• Sara Masterson (substitute)

Moran Elementary School

• OPEN (representative)

• OPEN (representative)

• OPEN (substitute)

Northpoint Elementary School

• Jen Craig

• Amy Shrout

• Dora Madsen (substitute)

• Chelsie Uranar (substitute)

Prairie Vista Elementary School

• Laura Christensen

• Sarah Huber

• Linnea Lannon

• Tim Baranowski (substitute)

Walt Disney Elementary School

• Brad Meier

• OPEN (representative)

• OPEN (substitute)

There are many ways to be active and contribute! 

• Arrange to volunteer at any P-H-M school
• Apply to work as sub in any P-H-M school
• Join the PTO or PTA, then serve on a committee, support a project, attend an event.
• Check out the P-H-M Forum; represent your school and attend monthly meetings
• Learn about the P-H-M Education Foundation, its events and programs
• Take note of the Safe School Helpline. Remember: If you see something, say something!

Positive parents can make a real difference in schools, and their involvement is deeply appreciated. And when moms and dads and grandparents get involved, they have opportunities to meet others, build relationships, and have fun! 

I want to be a well-informed parent!  Where should I start?

We’ve designed these resources to help our parents know what’s going on. If you don’t find the information you need in the print calendar or online, never hesitate to call your child’s school or the district’s administrative offices. 

• Refer to P-H-M’s annual activities calendar, to be mailed to your home early in August.
• Find all school addresses, phone numbers, and start and stop times here, and in the calendar as well
• Bookmark the district web page: www.phmschools.org
• Visit the school web pages; links to all 15 are found on the district page
• Like us on Facebook:  PHMschools
• Follow us on Twitter: @phmschools
• Subscribe to PHM’s YouTube Channel

Click here for information on how to become a volunteer.

We’re thrilled to welcome back all of our 11,000+ students and are excited to help all our students achieve Excellence.

The first day of school will be Wednesday, August 20, 2025 for grades 1 – 12.

• All students in 1st through 12th grades will report to their school buildings that day, and all those who are signed up for transportation services may ride the bus that day.  
• Kindergarten orientation takes place on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 with the first full day of kindergarten being Thursday, August 21st.

BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS. MARK CALENDAR & ATTEND! 

• Our elementary schools are hosting many fun Back to School family events starting the week of August 11. Check your school’s Google calendar on its website or be on the lookout from communication directly from your school principal. 
• All three Middle Schools are also planning a Walk-Around on Thursday, August 14^th. Check the school’s Google calendar on its website or be on the lookout from communication directly from your school principal. Make sure you mark your calendar and plan to attend!
• Penn is hosting a “Walk Around” to help parents and students get familiar with the school:
  • Penn High School’s “WALK AROUND” on Saturday, August 16, from 9 a.m. – Noon gives students a chance to familiarize themselves with the school and find where their classes and activities are located.

The BACK TO SCHOOL INFORMATION listed below will help P-H-M parents and students get ready for the 2025-26 School Year! 

CONTACTING SCHOOLS OVER THE SUMMER

• Elementary and Middle School Front Offices open Monday, August 4th.
• Penn is open every week day over the summer.
• All schools are open Monday – Friday during business hours. Those hours vary by school.
• Click here for the School Directory of all 15 schools

REGISTERING STUDENTS

• Register a new elementary or middle school student by visiting the school after offices open August 4, 2025. Click here to know what documentation you need to bring with you for registration.
• Register a new Penn High School student by calling (574) 254-2851. We will help you schedule your registration appointment and advise you on what information to bring with you to the appointment.  

BACK TO SCHOOL PACKETS & FORMS

• Back to School packet & information sheets
• Parent/guardians will sign these three forms in ParentSquare:
  • Photo Consent
  • Mandatory Curriculum Consent
  • Handbook Certification   
• These forms will be in Skyward Family Access:
  • CHIRP Release
  • Chromebook packet
  • Authorization to administer non-prescription medication at school
• Back to School Info Sheets

Click here for more information on how to login into your Skyward Family Access account

SCHOOL CALENDARS

• Here is the SY 2025-26 one-page calendar showing “at a glance” the start and end dates, as well as scheduled recess and vacation dates.
• All P-H-M families are mailed a District Activities Calendar early August. It lists key school and district events throughout the year. Click here to view a PDF version.
• Our online (Google) calendars are the most up-to-date. You’ll find a link to the P-H-M Corporate Calendar posted on the home page of the District website. It’s a Google calendar that can be added to your personal calendar.
• Each school also maintains an online Google calendar on the home page of each school website that is updated frequently with the school’s scheduled activities and event details. You can also the school’s Google calendar to your personal calendar to remember important dates.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

• All P-H-M schools provide basic school supplies to our students, free of charge. Therefore, our schools do not issue supply lists. You will need to purchase a backpack, water bottle, lunch box, and other items you want your child to have at home or take with them to school. If other specific items need to be purchased for a class or lab, your child’s teacher will inform you after school starts.  

IMMUNIZATIONS AND HEALTHCARE SERVICES

• Click here to make sure you child is up-to-date with all required immunizations. 
• Proof of immunizations must be provided to the school office by the first day of school.
• Kindergarten parents, please click here to learn about important kindergarten health information and medical forms before your kindergartner’s first day of school. 
• Click here for the forms administering medications at school
• Click here for more information on P-H-M Healthcare Services 

TRANSPORTATION

• School bus route times and locations will be shared with parents in a Transportation letter to be emailed before school starts
• Parents can check EZRouting to see your child’s bus route information online
• Here Comes the Bus provides real time GPS bus location info so parents know when to send their students out to the bus stop
• Have more questions about Transportation? Visit their webpage for contact information.

FOOD SERVICE

• Visit our Food & Nutrition page  to see monthly menus and find nutritional information
• See if you qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch and Textbook Assistance. Click here to apply online.
• Online payment for child’s meals
• Other Payment options

PARENTSQUARE

• Penn-Harris-Madison uses ParentSquare to send urgent alerts, such as school closings and delays.
• Principals and teachers also use it for noncurricular school and classroom communications.
  • Penn High School coaches and teachers who sponsor clubs, academic teams or extracurricular activities use StudentSquare to safely communicate with students, without exchanging cell phone numbers. Click here for details on how students can sign up for StudentSquare.
• Click here for instructions on setting up your account.
• Once your account is set up, families can chose their preferred mode of communication for non-urgent notifications–app, text, email, phone. You can also chose to have all communications automatically translated to your preferred first language. Click here for details on how to personalize your account and check your notification settings.

CLOSINGS/DELAYS PROCEDURES

• Make sure you sign up for ParentSquare to receive school closings/delays urgent alerts.
• Click to see how, when and what factors into P-H-M’s decision makings for 2-hour delays and closings. 

Penn-Harris-Madison’s culture of excellence, what we call #PHMExcellence, is built upon the “Triangle of Success”– linking students, teachers, and parents for the the best outcome for students. Success depends on supportive parents … help us help your children!

PARENTS Click here for ways to stay informed, as well getting connected and volunteering.