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

The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees will hold a Special School Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at the Educational Services Center, 55900 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, Indiana related to the following item:

• Approval of Employment of Dr. Heather Short as Superintendent
  of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation

A public hearing to hear objections to or in support of a proposed new contract for a new Superintendent was held Thursday, May 15, 2025.

The entire contract can be found at the following link: phmexcellence.com/SuptContract.

All teachers make an impact on their students. At P-H-M we honor those teachers whose students have improved academically with the P-H-M Impact Award. This semester, Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker is visiting schools and surprising teachers whose students had significant First Semester growth

Today Dr. Thacker, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Heather Short, Director of Literacy Ryan Towner, and the Executive Director of the P-H-M Education Foundation Jennifer Turnbloom stopped by Horizon Elementary and Discovery Middle School to surprise teachers there. 

Fourth grade Horizon students of Julia Rulli had the district’s highest movement/growth in ELA of 4^th grade students—those who were below proficiency in Clear Sight! It may have something to do with Mrs. Rulli showing her students love and support. Click here to read a story about how she makes her students feel loved. Click here to see a photo gallery of today’s surprise.

At Discovery, Coleen Manspeaker was recognized because her students had P-H-M’s highest growth in proficiency in 8th grade math, growing 59%! Click here to see the photo gallery.

The Impact Awards were first handed out in September 2023 to teachers with the most significant overall student growth during the 2022-2023 school year.

Thank you to the P-H-M Education Foundation for covering the cost of the awards for purchasing the beautiful crystal awards given to the teacher award recipients.

We are thrilled to announce that the P-H-M Education Foundation is providing funding for the 15th annual Running is Elementary program!

SAVE THE DATE!  The date is May 6 (Rain Date May 8).

All P-H-M 4th & 5th grade students are invited to participate.  Students will practice at their home schools with the culminating run at Elm Road Elementary School.

Exact details will be provided by the individual schools so be on the lookout for communication regarding signups. 

Take a look at the video below to see how fun and exciting it is!

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

According to the agreement, Culver’s co-owners Mark Nowak (1997 Penn grad) and Keith Remington 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. There will also be an additional donation of Culver’s workout t-shirts provided annually to students. The naming rights will be effective May 1, 2024.

Culver’s is also co-sponsoring the Bus Driver of the Month recognition that started in January. Click here for more details.

A new Culver’s is being built near Penn High School on McKinley Highway, near the Bittersweet Road intersection. 

Per PHMEF’s Naming Rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into the Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide alternative and additional funding for various co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The remaining 20 percent directly funds professional development initiatives for P-H-M teachers. Continuing the education and training of teachers is a major priority for P-H-M School District.

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, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

We’re happy to introduce you to PHM bus driver Greg Trytko as the inaugural Culver’s Bus Driver of the Month!!!

Greg drives Bus #117 for Moran Elementary. Greg is a ’78 Penn grad and has been with PHM for going on seven years. Greg is praised for his positive attitude & willingness to cover extra routes when needed.

So far this school year, he has completed 41 field & athletics trips–adding up to almost 250 hours! The PHM Transportation Department is beyond grateful for Greg! Thank you Culver’s and P-H-M Education Foundation for being valued partners. 

Do you have a bus driver you want to nominate for Culver’s Bus Driver of the Month? We want to recognize elementary, middle and high school bus operators. Click here to fill out the nomination form. Winners will be announced on the last Wednesday of every month.

Discovery Middle School: Monday, February 26^th and Tuesday, February 27^th

(feeder elementary schools: Northpoint, Mary Frank & Horizon)

Schmucker Middle School: Monday, March 4^th and Tuesday, March 5^th

(feeder elementary schools: Prairie Vista, Walt Disney, Elsie Rogers, Bittersweet, & parts of Moran)

Grissom Middle School: Monday, March 11^th and Tuesday, March 12^th 

​(feeder elementary schools: Meadow’s Edge, Elm Road, & parts of Moran)

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is nationally recognized as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” offering choir, band and orchestra at Schmucker, Discovery and Grissom Middle Schools.

Every P-H-M 5th grader who will be attending a P-H-M middle school as an incoming 6th grader in the Fall 2024 has the opportunity to join an instrumental music class, which includes either band or orchestra. “Instrument Selection Night” is when students and families get to make their choice!

At “Instrument Selection Night,” a music professional will be available to give students advice about which instrument may be best suited for them. They will be allowed to “try out” instruments from various instrument groups. Click here to download, view and print more information on Instrument Selection Night.

In order to join 6th grade band or orchestra, students must select an instrument that they will learn, practice and perform for the school year. Click this link to sign-up for your appointment at your designated school and date. 

At the January 22 Board of School Trustees Meeting, P-H-M’s Executive Director of Business Services Dr. Thomas Keeley presented a summary of the 2024 Budget Order issued by the Department of Local Government Finance. Click here to view Dr. Keeley’s presentation.

One of the major highlights of Dr. Keeley’s presentation is that P-H-M is maintaining the property tax rate for 2024 at 0.9275, the same as last year. P-H-M continues to have the lowest property tax rate in St. Joseph County. P-H-M is fiscally sound and a good steward of taxpayer dollars, while also maintaining safe learning and working environments for students and staff.

Interested in being a Substitute Teacher, or Substitute Teacher’s Aide, Substitute Exceptional Education Aide or a Substitute Office Aide for P-H-M? 

Sub Teachers pay $100 day, Sub Aides and Sub Office Aides $14 an hour, & Sub EAs $85 a day. Click here for more details on the pay rate. Check out the ESS website for more info on the positions: https://bit.ly/PHMWork.

Come out Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Meadow’s Edge Elementary School, 16333 Kern Road, Mishawaka, IN 46554. Use the Main Entrance.

Please ignore!!

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