News

P-H-M’s Annual Community Tailgate is a long-standing tradition that brings families, students, staff, and community members together to show their Penn pride. The event is held before the Penn Football home opener and is a chance for everyone across the district to connect, celebrate, and support the Kingsmen. This year's home opener will be "The Backyard Brawl" against Mishawaka on Friday, August 29th, 2025. Click ...

Northpoint is starting the school year with cause for celebration—97.1% of our third graders passed IREAD in 2025, up from 95.4% in 2024. This success is a testament to our students living the STARS expectations: Safe, Trustworthy, Accountable, and Respectful. “Our students put into practice the literacy foundations taught by P-H-M’s dedicated teachers, and their families reinforced that learning at home. I also thank our ...

Penn-Harris-Madison invites students, families, alumni, and community members to celebrate Homecoming 2025 on Friday, September 26, 2025 courtesy of the PHM Education Foundation. The annual celebration includes the Homecoming Parade on Bittersweet Road in front of Penn High School, showcasing student groups, athletic teams, school clubs, and community organizations, followed by the Penn Kingsmen football game against South Bend Adams at Everwise Freed Field. This ...

P-H-M is hosting a districtwide drug awareness parent community meeting to help educate P-H-M families about the current drug trends attracting teenagers. This valuable information is something all parents/guardians should be aware of. Families of all grade levels, K-12, are invited and encouraged to attend. The session will be led by Tall Cop Says Stop™ contracted educator, Melissa Moore, CPS. Tall Cop Says Stop™ was ...

At Monday night’s P-H-M Board of School Trustees meeting Superintendent Dr. Heather Short, presented three current P-H-M administrators for promotion. This was Dr. Short's first school board meeting as superintendent since she started in the role on July 1. The following administrative changes were approved at the meeting: Randy Williams was approved as the new Director of Academic and Student Support. Williams previously served in ...

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation (P-H-M) proudly shares the outstanding performance of its students on the Spring 2025 ILEARN assessment, as released by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). P-H-M students once again outperformed the state average by an impressive 20 percentage points in the percentage of students passing both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. This achievement places P-H-M in the top 4% of public school ...

In March, Superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation Dr. Jerry Thacker announced his retirement after 19 years. Under Dr. Thacker’s leadership, P-H-M has achieved extraordinary milestones, including raising the graduation rate from 79% to 98%, ranking in the top 4% of the state academically, and helping students earn more than $200 million in scholarships. He also prioritized school safety, leading P-H-M to be ranked sixth in ...

Dr. Jerry Thacker is proud and delighted that the Board of School Trustees appointed Dr. Heather Short this week to succeed him as superintendent upon his retirement. From Dr. Heather Short: As the incoming Superintendent, I am thrilled to recommend Dr. Lavon Dean-Null to succeed me as the next Assistant Superintendent for Instruction. In addition, I am also recommending Dr. Mindy Higginson as the next ...

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 ...

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced today (Friday, May 23) that Northpoint is among the 16 schools newly named STEM Certified Schools--certified leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education! Our school completed a rigorous application and review process, which must be repeated every five years to remain certified Click here for more information on the IDOE’s STEM Certification process. Click here to ...