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Culver’s Sports Performance Center Dedicated at Penn

Penn High School welcomed a new member of the Kingsmen Athletics team when Culver’s Sports Performance Center was dedicated on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. Keith Remington and Mark Nowak co-owners of Culver’s Restaurant (on McKinley Avenue near Penn High School) donated $125,000 to P-H-M Education Foundation’s Naming Rights campaign.

The partnership between Culver’s, P-H-M, P-H-M Education Foundation, and Penn High School signals a new chapter in Kingsmen Athletics Excellence.

P-H-M Board of School Trustees VP Ryan McCullough, P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, PHMEF Exec. Dir. Jennifer Turnblom, P-H-M Chief Operating Officer Dr. Aaron Leniski, Penn High School Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, Assistant Athletic Director Bridget Williams, and Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Cates welcomed Remington (1997 Penn grad) and Nowak and their families today.

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The new Culver’s Sports Performance Center signage in Penn’s weight room and upstairs student fitness center were unveiled. Remington and Nowak also got to see for the first time Penn’s new Strength & Conditioning class “uniform” shirts. Several Penn student-athletes, including Remington’s daughter Anna, were on hand wearing the T-shirts.

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Per P-H-M Education Foundation’s Naming Rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide funding for PHMEF teacher/classroom grants and various co-curricular and extracurricular programs in P-H-M schools. The remaining 20 percent directly funds P-H-M teacher professional development initiatives. To date the Foundation has given $1.6 million disbursements in classroom grants.

The T-shirts that the student-athletes were wearing at today’s event are an additional annual gift from Culver’s valued at $7,000.

The mission of the Education Foundation is to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in the School Corporation by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

“Community support is vital for our ability to support excellence in education in P-H-M schools,” PHMEF Director Jennifer Turnblom said. “Culver’s generous donation shows their dedication to our schools and positive impact on our community and we are honored to partner with them through the naming rights program. Their commitment allows us to continue to increase grant funding and support district wide programs in all 15 P-H-M schools.”

Culver's Performance Center dedicaiton

The P-H-M Board of School Trustees approved the Naming Rights partnership between the P-H-M Education Foundation and Culver’s at the Feb. 12 Board Meeting.

According to the agreement, Culver’s co-owners Keith Remington and Mark Nowak and agree to pay PHMEF $125,000 over 12 years to name the weight and performance center at Penn High School the Culver’s Sports Performance Center.

Penn Athletic Director Jeff Hart said that Culver’s sponsorship will provide a positive impact in the performance and lives of more than a thousand Penn students each school year.

“We sincerely appreciate the commitment that Culver’s is making to our school community,” Hart said. “By sponsoring our weight rooms, Culver’s is helping to put a spotlight on the Strength and Conditioning program at Penn and the importance that a successful program can have on our 1,100 student-athletes.

“The leadership at Culver’s understands the benefits this program provides through the prevention of injuries, self confidence, improved athletic performance, and long-term health,” Hart continued. “We look forward to an exciting partnership.”

The Culver’s Sports Performance Center is nationally renowned. The National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA) named Penn’s Strength and Conditioning program a NHSSCA Program of Excellence School. This honor recognizes that Penn High School’s Strength & Conditioning program operates at a highest level of professionalism.

In awarding Penn and Coach Cates with this honor NHSSCA noted …

“This honor recognizes that this High School Strength & Conditioning program operates at a highest level of professionalism. To earn this honor Coach Cates & Penn High School has displayed excellence in safety, quality, efficacy, outreach & highlighting. While also displaying excellent continuing education & technology usage in their Strength & Conditioning program.”

Penn Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Cates was named the National High School Strength Coaches Association 2024 National Coach of the Year.

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BoardDocs

Visit the BoardDocs® public website to access school board meeting agendas, minutes, and policies.

HOW TO ACCESS BOARDDOCS®

Go to BoardDocs® by pasting this web address into your browser bar http://www.boarddocs.com/in/phm/Board.nsf – or by simply clicking here!

Once at the BoardDocs® page, click on Enter Public Site.

HOW TO SEE THE AGENDA FOR A SCHEDULED MEETING

Agendas are made public three days ahead of a meeting. The Agenda for the next scheduled board meeting will be listed on the left-hand side of the BoardDocs site under the Featured tab. If you wish to view a meeting other than the current or “featured” meeting, click on the Meetings tab and a listing of all Active Meetings (from 2008-2022) will appear.

When you click on a meeting date, a window opens on the right-hand side of the webpage, giving you the option to View the Agenda, which includes detailed information for each agenda item, or Print the Agenda. A print-out will not include the additional details.

HOW TO SEE THE MINUTES FOLLOWING A MEETING

The minutes from a school board meeting are provided in draft form in the agenda for the next school board meeting. That Agenda is released the Friday before the scheduled meeting.

To access the Minutes from a given meeting, select the subsequent meeting and click View the Agenda. The Agenda will appear in the left-hand column and Board Minutes are generally listed there as Item 4: Approval of Minutes. When you click there, the Agenda Item Details will appear on the right side of the page, including the link to open the minutes as a PDF file.

To return to the “main page” of the BoardDocs® public website, simply click on the Featured tab at the top of the page.

HOW TO SEE SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation and the Board of School Trustees follows state and federal statutes, relying on the guidance of Neola Services, to ensure we remain in compliance while providing an excellent education to our students.

Please click here to be taken to the district’s BoardDocs policy website for a complete listing of P-H-M’s Board approved policies.

Strategic Plan

A school corporation’s strategic plan outlines the long-term vision, goals, and actionable steps aimed at improving educational outcomes and operational efficiency. It serves as a roadmap to guide decision-making and resource allocation to enhance student achievement and organizational effectiveness.

College & Career Readiness Goals

STRATEGIC GOAL – Preparing all students for the world beyond the walls of Penn. Students will be experienced with high-level thinking in all courses with the expectation of continual growth and expanded thinking.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Two years ago, the Indiana Department of Education created the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed Dashboard. This website houses the majority of the data relative to student achievement for all Indiana schools.

District Grade – This will be updated when the Indiana Department of Education approves the new accountability formula.

School Grades – This will be updated when the Indiana Department of Education approves the new accountability formula.

Graduation rate must exceed 90%. ⇒ Penn’s graduation rate is 97%

ILEARN – Based on the passing rate of our students, P-H-M is in the top 4% of all schools statewide.

IREAD – 93.7% of P-H-M third graders passed this annual reading proficiency test.

All students benefit from differentiated instruction, and programs in place that support high ability students, English-language learners, and those with special needs.

At the high school, the Freshman Academy helps ninth graders transition to college and career expectations, and four Achievement Academies provide structured programs of study aligned with career interests and aptitudes. Some will choose the Early College Academy as a way to work toward an Associates Degree while earning a high school diploma.

The school district’s goal is to provide an educational environment for students to reach their highest academic achievement. We will help them become lifelong learners who are ready to adapt, contribute to and succeed in a changing world.

Professional Development Goals

STRATEGIC GOAL – P-H-M will have the highest quality trained faculty and staff by continuing to invest in ongoing, job-embedded professional development.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Performance and Accountability – 100% of P-H-M teachers are rated Effective or Highly Effective on Indiana’s teacher evaluation system.

Professional Distinction – P-H-M educators consistently receive national and state recognition, including one Indiana Superintendent of the Year, two Principals of the Year, one Teacher of the Year, and several finalists for Indiana Teacher of the Year (Top 25, Top 10, and one Top 3 finalist).

Student Achievement Analysis – Our decisions, including planned professional development, are data-driven and based on what we need to do to meet our students’ needs.

Ensuring College and Career Readiness – Our teaching staff is equipped and enabled to provide instruction that is both relevant and rigorous. The high school faculty is trained in best practices, including how to be part of an effective Professional Learning Community.

Current Educational Trends – We bring in nationally-recognized speakers and trainers and allow teachers time out of the classroom for these growth opportunities.

Customer Service at all Levels – The expectation is clear and the training is provided so that all staff are positioned to serve our community in a helpful, pleasant, and respectful manner.

Continuous Professional Growth – Teacher retention is high because the district values and invests in them. In addition to year-round professional development, summer professional learning opportunities are designed to introduce new materials or new skills ahead of the coming school year.

Building Administrative Capacity – P-H-M has a culture of honoring growth and recognizing excellence. Through mentoring, support, and structured administrative experiences, a number of good teachers have become great principals and administrators within the district.

Facilities Goals

STRATEGIC GOAL – Maintaining top-notch facilities to optimize the quality of the learning environment and extra-curricular offerings in a safe environment.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Strategic planning on capital improvements
- Classroom upgrades
- Planetarium upgrades
- Athletic Facilities improvements
- Energy management and mechanical upgrades
- Bus parking enhancements
- Traffic Flow
Enhanced security with 3-layer safety approach
- Locked exterior doors
- Locking classroom doors
- Identity screening of visitors
- Safety film on windows

Technology Goals

STRATEGIC GOAL – Using technology to support learning in an engaging, student-centered environment.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Chromebook Initiative
- Every high school and middle school student receive a personal Chromebook
- All elementary classrooms have access to Chromebook carts
Instructional Technology
- District-wide instructional technology in teachers’ hands
- Integrated hardware/software/connectivity engineered to work together
- Canvas Learning Management System connects students, parents and teachers
- Elementary digital resources accessed through Student Launch Pad
Support and training
- Student readiness through prepared lessons and hands-on experience
- Staff readiness through structured training, modeling and peer support
- Student intern program maintains devices and supports users
Focused on the future: STEM
- Project Lead the Way opportunities at elementary, middle school and high school
- PLTW training and accreditation for staff
- Many custom labs (architecture, robotics, computer science, graphic design, music)
Infrastructure upgrades to support demand for digital resources
- Telephone upgrades, VOIP flexibility and reliability
- Committed resources (network, training) to support widespread online assessments
- Server management and monitoring provides security and redundancy
Annual Technology Plan
- Strategic and forward-thinking
- Best use of resources

Fiscal Responsibility

STRATEGIC GOAL – P-H-M will provide necessary financial resources to support high quality teaching and learning while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Maintain a consistent tax rate
Maintain General Fund operating balance
Rainy Day Fund maintained for emergencies
Adopt budget at maximum levy; File for appeals on additional revenue when qualify
Competitive bidding on purchases and services for cost efficiency
Revenue generators include non-resident student enrollment, additional vocational programs, grants

Parent & Community Partnerships

STRATEGIC GOAL – We know that parents are our biggest supporters. We will continually add to our list of community partnerships through collaboration with local businesses, universities and other forums.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Business partners, including:
- Teachers Credit Union
- May Oberfell Lorber Law Firm
- Lionshead Specialty Tire & Wheel
- Zolman’s Tire & Auto Care
- Jordan Automotive Group
- Whirlpool Corporation
- St. Joseph Regional Medical Center
- and many more!
Academy partners, including:
- Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame
- South Bend Symphony
- Elkhart General Hospital
- and many more!
University partners, including:
- University of Notre Dame
- IVY TECH
- IU South Bend
- Indiana Wesleyan University
Parents as partners, including
- Families for Fair Funding as advocates
- Active PTO at every school
- PHM Forum meets monthly
- Boosters supporting athletics
- Boosters supporting performing arts
PHM Education Foundation
- Silver Mile and other community-based events
- Teacher grants to support innovation
- PHMEF Endowment
Corporations for Education
- Laidig Systems
- May Oberfell Lorber Law Firm
- Spectron mrc LLC
- Crowe Horwath
- Memorial Children’s Hospital
- Gibson

Fiscal Responsibility

STRATEGIC GOAL – P-H-M will provide necessary financial resources to support high quality teaching and learning while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Decreased tax rate $.1556 in 2015
Maintain General Fund operating balance for 8 years
Rainy Day Fund maintained for emergencies
Adopt budget at maximum levy; File for appeals on additional revenue when qualify
Competitive bidding on purchases and services for cost efficiency
Revenue generators include non-resident student enrollment, Energy education, additional vocational programs, grants
Partnered with City of Mishawaka for PLTW initiative for classroom technology

Professional Development Goals

STRATEGIC GOAL – P-H-M will have the highest quality trained faculty and staff by continuing to invest in ongoing, job-embedded professional development.

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

Performance and Accountability – 100% of P-H-M teachers are rated Effective or Highly Effective on Indiana’s teacher evaluation system.

Indiana Principal of the Year – Penn High School Principal Steve Hope was named Indiana Principal of the year in November 2015

Indiana Teacher of the Year – Stacy McCormack, Penn physics teacher, was named Indiana Teacher of the Year in 2011, distinguishing herself at the state and national level.

Professional Distinction – A P-H-M educator has been named as a finalst for Indiana Teacher of the Year five of the past six years.

Student Achievement Analysis – Our decisions, including planned professional development, are data-driven and based on what we need to do to meet our students’ needs.

Ensuring College and Career Readiness – Our teaching staff is equipped and enabled to provide instruction that is both relevant and rigorous. The high school faculty is trained in best practices, including how to be part of an effective Professional Learning Community.

Current Educational Trends – We bring in nationally-recognized speakers and trainers and allow teachers time out of the classroom for these growth opportunities.

Customer Service at all Levels – The expectation is clear and the training is provided so that all staff are positioned to serve our community in a helpful, pleasant, and respectful manner.

Continuous Professional Growth – Teacher retention is high because the district values and invests in them. In addition to year-round professional development, a Summer Curriculum Institute is designed to introduce new materials or new skills ahead of the coming school year.

College & Career Readiness Goals

MEASURES OF OUR SUCCESS

District Grade – P-H-M is an A-rated school district for the 5th consecutive year.

School Grades – The district got an ‘A’ grade for the fifth consecutive year. Thirteen of the 15 schools earned A’s. Two schools earned high B’s.

Four Star Schools – Seven of P-H-M’s schools are recognized by the Indiana Department of Education as high-achieving Four Star Schools.

90-25-90 is an elite status, accorded to top-performing high schools based on the three measures below.

Graduation rate must exceed 90%. ⇒ Penn’s graduation rate is 97%

Advanced Placement (AP) and Advanced College Placement (ACP) participation/passing rate must exceed 25%. ⇒ Penn far exceeds the target at 62%.

Algebra I End of Course Assessment (ECA) and the English 10 End of Course Assessment passing rate must exceed 90%. ⇒ 94% of Penn students passed Algebra I ECA; 93% passed the English 10 ECA.

ISTEP – Based on the passing rate of our students, P-H-M is in the top 5% of all schools statewide.

IREAD – 91% of P-H-M third graders passed this annual reading proficiency test.

Many other measures can be used to gauge P-H-M’s success at the state level and nationally. These include the ISTEP-based Indiana Growth Model and college entrance exams such as PSAT/SAT and the ACT.

All students benefit from differentiated instruction, and programs in place that support high ability students, English-language learners, and those with special needs.

Public Participation in Board Meetings

You can watch our Board Meetings live streamed on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PennHarrisMadison

Members of the public can address the Trustees on agenda Board Action Items and the Hearing of Visitors. Any patron of the School Corporation who desires to address the Board during a regular meeting shall be required to state his/her name and address for the record. (per policy 0167.3 adopted June 27, 2005; last revised Sept. 13, 2010)

Visitors Requesting Permission to Address the Board on a Specific Agenda Item (In-person Regular Meetings):

Visitors requesting permission to address the Board on a specific agenda item are requested to complete a registration form prior to the meeting for each item.
A time limit of three (3) minutes during the discussion of that agenda item will be enforced for persons wishing to speak on any specific agenda item.
Visitors will be restricted to one (1) appearance per item.

The public can also address the Board during the Hearing of Visitors.

Hearing of Visitors (In-person Regular Meetings):

Anyone wishing to address the Board on general topics is invited to do so under this item, Hearing of Visitors, without registering.
The Hearing of Visitors will begin at the conclusion of the regular agenda.
A time limit of three (3) minutes shall be enforced for persons wishing to speak during the Hearing of Visitors.
It is requested that names and addresses be stated at the beginning of such comments.
Individuals may speak only once during this section of this agenda.

Virtual Public Comment Procedures:

Visitors wishing to address the School Board Members virtually should email boardvisitor@phm.k12.in.us. You will need to share the following information in that email:

Name
Address
Phone number
Organization you may be representing
If you have student(s) in the school corporation.

Please note that all requests to speak virtually must be received no later than 5:00 p.m.

Please review policy 0167.3 for procedures for visitors requesting permission to address the Board on during Special Meetings.

Board Meeting Dates

2025-2026

All regular board meetings are held in the Board Room at the Educational Services Center, 55900 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, and begin at 6:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted. The Board Meeting dates are listed below; click to see them.

All regular meetings are open to the public and the news media. P-H-M Board Meetings are also shared via livestream through the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation’s YouTube Channel, click to to visit the PHM YouTube page.

Public Participation at Board Meetings:

Per policy 0167.3 (adopted June 27, 2005; last revised Sept. 13, 2010), members of the public can address the Trustees on agenda Board Action Items and the Hearing of Visitors. Any patron of the School Corporation who desires to address the Board during a regular meeting shall be required to state his/her name and address for the record.

Visitors Requesting Permission to Address the Board on a Specific Agenda Item (In-person Regular Meetings):

Visitors requesting permission to address the Board on a specific agenda item are requested to complete a registration form prior to the meeting for each item.
A time limit of three (3) minutes during the discussion of that agenda item will be enforced for persons wishing to speak on any specific agenda item.
Visitors will be restricted to one (1) appearance per item.

The public can also address the Board during the Hearing of Visitors.

Hearing of Visitors (In-person Regular Meetings):

Anyone wishing to address the Board on general topics is invited to do so under this item, Hearing of Visitors, without registering.
The Hearing of Visitors will begin at the conclusion of the regular agenda.
A time limit of three (3) minutes shall be enforced for persons wishing to speak during the Hearing of Visitors.
It is requested that names and addresses be stated at the beginning of such comments.
Individuals may speak only once during this section of this agenda.

Virtual Public Comment Procedures:

Visitors wishing to address the School Board Members virtually should email boardvisitor@phm.k12.in.us. You will need to share the following information in that email:

Name
Address
Phone number
Organization you may be representing
If you have student(s) in the school corporation.

Please note that all requests to speak virtually must be received no later than 5:00 p.m.

Please review policy 0167.3 for procedures for visitors requesting permission to address the Board on during Special Meetings.

Any changes in the starting times or location changes are so noted in red on the schedule below.

Day	Date	Location	Time
Monday	June 22, 2026	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	July 20, 2026	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	August 3, 2026 Budget Work Session Only*	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	August 10, 2026	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	September 14, 2026	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	October 12, 2026	Dr. Jerry & Donna Thacker Fieldhouse	6:00 p.m.
Monday	November 9, 2026	Grissom	6:00 p.m.
Monday	December 7, 2026	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	January 11, 2027	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	January 11, 2027 Board of Finance**	ESC	Immediately Following the Board Meeting
Monday	February 8, 2027	Penn High School	6:00 p.m.
Monday	March 15, 2027	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	April 19, 2027	Prairie Vista	6:00 p.m.
Monday	May 17, 2027	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	June 21, 2027	ESC	6:00 p.m.
Monday	July 19, 2027	ESC	6:00 p.m.

*The annual Budget Work Session will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 3, 2026.

**The annual Board of Finance will be held on Monday, January 11, 2027 immediately following the Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

The Board’s meeting site is fully accessible to all persons. Any person requiring further accommodation should contact Rachel Hoogenboom, Administrative Assistant to the School Board: rhoogenboom@phm.k12.in.us or (574) 258-9570.

Culver’s Sports Performance Center Dedicated at Penn

BoardDocs

Visit the BoardDocs® public website to access school board meeting agendas, minutes, and policies.

Strategic Plan

College & Career Readiness Goals

Professional Development Goals

Facilities Goals

Technology Goals

Fiscal Responsibility

Parent & Community Partnerships

Fiscal Responsibility

Professional Development Goals

College & Career Readiness Goals

Public Participation in Board Meetings

You can watch our Board Meetings live streamed on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PennHarrisMadison

Board Meeting Dates

2025-2026

​Public Participation at Board Meetings:

Public Participation at Board Meetings: