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 created by Officer Jermaine Galloway, an Idaho law enforcement officer since 1997. Galloway is regarded as one of America’s top experts in various drug and alcohol trends and specializes in underage drinking and drug enforcement. For more than 15 years, he has trained school administrators and safety personnel in spotting the dangers that threaten teens and the community. Melissa Moore, a 24-year public health experienced professional, who works to advance the mission of Tall Cop Says Stop™ in helping educate parents/guardians and students about the latest deadly effects of so-called recreational drug use.

We hope that P-H-M families are able to attend this very important education session.

Due to the nature of the discussion, children of any age are not permitted at the parent session the evening of Tuesday, October 21. Moore will present a student focused presentation to Penn sophomores, juniors and seniors during the school day on October 21st and 22nd.

Information on a live stream and YouTube recording will be shared soon. 

Visit this PDF for Chromebook insurance information.

The Penn High School athletic department is pleased to announce the sale of electronic All-Sports Passes for the 2025- 26 school year.

Click here to purchase the passes.

These passes are good for all Penn High School regular-season home events. We will again offer digital ticketing services, allowing for the use of cash and credit cards (online) payments on game day.

2025-26 Ticket Prices

● Penn Student Pass (Grades 9-12) $33
● Student Pass (Grades K-8) $43
● Adult Pass $73
● Senior Pass (Ages 60 and up) $53
● Family Pass (2 Adults, 2 Students) $210
● 10-Game Punch Pass $53

Single-Game Ticket Prices

● Varsity $6
■ Game day purchase for football $7
● Lower level (JV, Freshman) $5

Additional Information for All-Sports Passes

1. The All-Sports Pass is good for use at all Penn High School regular-season home events.
2. The All-Sports Pass is NOT valid for IHSAA post-season events or contests.
3. The All-Sports Pass is Non-Transferable. Use of the pass by anyone other than the owner will restrict
access to the pass or cancel it.
4. Single-game tickets will be available by credit card or cash the night of the contest. An advanced
digital ticketing option is available.
5. All-Sports Passes may be purchased online at Penn All Sports Pass (2025-26).
6. Purchases with cash or check are available in the athletic department only.
7. If you have any questions on purchasing your electronic All-Sports Pass or for reserved seating, please contact Penn Athletic Ticket Manager, Heather Nania, at hnania@phm.k12.in.us or by calling 574-258-9537.

The Penn High School athletic department is pleased to announce the sale of electronic All-Sports Passes for the 2025- 26 school year.

Click here to purchase the passes.

These passes are good for all Penn High School regular-season home events. We will again offer digital ticketing services, allowing for the use of cash and credit cards (online) payments on game day.

2025-26 Ticket Prices

● Penn Student Pass (Grades 9-12) $33
● Student Pass (Grades K-8) $43
● Adult Pass $73
● Senior Pass (Ages 60 and up) $53
● Family Pass (2 Adults, 2 Students) $210
● 10-Game Punch Pass $53

Single Game Ticket Prices

● Varsity $6
■ Game day purchase for football $7
● Lower level (JV, Freshman) $5

Additional Information for All-Sports Passes

1. The All-Sports Pass is good for use at all Penn High School regular-season home events.
2. The All-Sports Pass is NOT valid for IHSAA post-season events or contests.
3. The All-Sports Pass is Non-Transferable. Use of the pass by anyone other than the owner will restrict
access to the pass or cancel it.
4. Single-game tickets will be available by credit card or cash the night of the contest. An advanced
digital ticketing option is available.
5. All-Sports Passes may be purchased online at Penn All Sports Pass (2025-26).
6. Purchases with cash or check are available in the athletic department only.
7. If you have any questions on purchasing your electronic All-Sports Pass or for reserved seating, please contact Penn Athletic Ticket Manager, Heather Nania, at hnania@phm.k12.in.us or by calling 574-258-9537.

Penn High School’s newest official sport is already making history. The Penn Girls Flag Football program hosted its first-ever Prospect Camp on July 22-23, welcoming over a dozen incoming middle school athletes. The two-day camp focused on building foundational skills in flag football, while also emphasizing teamwork and leadership development.

To see the full Flag Football Prospect Camp photo gallery click here.

The camp follows the official launch of the Girls Flag Football program at Penn, approved by the Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees in March. The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) announced earlier this year that 55 schools have committed to fielding teams for the 2025 season—more than double the 27 teams that participated in 2024.

The IHSAA is one of 19 state associations currently piloting the Girls Flag Football program in partnership with the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts. As part of this initiative, Penn High School will receive $6,500 in grant funding from the NFL and Colts to support the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

While the new IHSAA-sanctioned Girls Flag Football program marks a major expansion in athletic opportunity for student-athletes, Penn’s long-running “Powder Puff” Homecoming tournament will continue as a separate tradition. The event features four teams—one per class year—and remains a popular part of Penn’s Homecoming week festivities.

Penn Flag Football’s inaugural season is set to include a seven-game regular season, culminating in a postseason that features a sectional round and a state championship. The Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) is projecting six teams for the 2025 season: Penn, Elkhart, South Bend Adams, South Bend Riley, South Bend St. Joseph and South Bend Washington.

The NIC schedule kicks off with four conference games at School Field on Saturday, Aug. 23. Regular doubleheaders will follow at rotating locations throughout the season. Penn’s first home game is scheduled for Wednesday, September 3, against South Bend Riley. Game times will be announced at a later date.

The Penn team will hold practices after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, with games played on Wednesdays. Matches will be played in a 7-on-7 format, with each game lasting 60 minutes.

Leading the program is Head Coach Jerimiah Maggart, a 2007 Penn graduate and former football and wrestling standout. Maggart joined the Penn faculty for the 2024–2025 school year as a Fitness, Health, and Strength and Conditioning instructor. He previously taught and coached at Jimtown High School, where he served as head coach of the boys and girls wrestling programs. He has also coached at North Montgomery and Manchester High Schools. Maggart is a graduate of Purdue University.

Maggart aims to grow the program quickly, starting with a varsity team this fall. His long-term goals include adding a junior varsity team by the 2026 season and building out youth and middle school feeder programs.

Tryouts and official practices for the Penn Flag Football Team are scheduled to start on Monday, August 4.

Click here for a Google Form to fill out if you are interested in playing Girls Flag Football.

You can also email Coach Maggart at jmaggart1@phm.k12.in.us for more information.

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 several administrative roles within PHM since 2008, including Principal of Madison and Walt Disney Elementary Schools, Dean of Students at Penn and Associate Principal of Penn. In 2018 he was honored as a member of the “Forty under 40” class. In 2023 He became the Director of Secondary Education and Student Services for the Middlebury Community School system. Williams now returns to Penn-Harris-Madison with a wealth of new professional experiences and an enhanced skill set.

Maddie Schmidt was approved for the Assistant Principal position at Grissom Middle School. Schmidt is a former Kingsmen and a graduate of Judson University. She has a master’s degree in Educational and Business Administration from Bethel University. Schmidt began her career teaching language arts at Schmucker Middle School. During her time there, she also served as an Instructional Leader. She is an active member of PHM’s Excellence in Leadership initiative and has held multiple teacher leadership roles at SMS. Most recently, she served as a Dean at Schmucker. 

Beth Stroven was approved for the Assistant Principal position at Schmucker Middle School. This past year, Stroven served as a math teacher at Grissom Middle School and is a member of PHM’s Excellence in Leadership initiative. Prior to joining P-H-M, she was a teacher in Elkhart Community Schools, where she was recognized as the 2019 District Elementary Teacher of the Year and received the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Grant where she earned a master’s degree in Educational and Business Administration from Indiana State University. She later served as the principal of Mary Daly Elementary School. 

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 corporations across Indiana (see the charts below).

“These results reflect the exceptional work of our teachers, students, and staff,” said Superintendent Dr. Heather Short. “We remain deeply committed to ensuring every child reaches their full potential, and this data shows that our efforts are paying off.”

P-H-M has maintained its Top 4% ranking for a second consecutive year, a testament to the district’s commitment to academic excellence and the strategies that drive student success. Out of Indiana public schools that passed both ELA and Math, Northpoint and Prairie Vista Elementary Schools are in the Top 10; and Discovery Middle School is #3 in the state.

A closer analysis of the data shows strong gains across grade levels and student groups. Middle school students, in particular, demonstrated significant improvement in math, based on the state’s 2021 benchmark. P-H-M 8th grade Math performance is up 24% since the benchmark year and now the variance over the state average is 28%.

The district’s Free and Reduced Lunch (F/R) student population, which now exceeds 30%, continues to demonstrate notable progress. Among Indiana’s largest public school districts testing close to 5,000 students, P-H-M ranks #1 in the state for the percentage of F/R students passing both ELA and Math.

“These achievements are not by accident,” added Dr. Short. “They are the result of intentional investments in teacher professional development and the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices. We are fortunate to have educators and staff who are deeply committed to supporting every learner.”

Indiana junior high school students are now required to take the SAT for graduation. The IDOE also released SAT results. Among public high schools in pass percentage, Penn High School moved up from #27 last year, to #15 this year.

Results from the Spring 2025 IREAD assessment are expected to be released in early fall, and P-H-M looks forward to sharing those outcomes as well.

ILEARN Math

ILEARN ELA

Congratulations to the Penn Night School Class of 2025!

On Tuesday, June 10, Penn Night School graduates had the opportunity to cross the stage during commencement excercises in front of their family and friends and receive their high school diploma. 

To see the full Penn Night School Graduation photo gallery click here.

The ceremony was held in the Bengtsson Center for Performing Arts at Penn High School. Officiating the ceremony were P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker, Penn Principal Dr. Sean Galiher and Pennway Night School Director Brad Boyd.

The Night School program provides coursework for adults toward completion of a high school diploma, not a GED, regardless of residency. To qualify a student must be beyond their expected graduation year as defined by the Indiana Department of Education, and between the ages of 18-22. Click here to learn more about the Penn Night School Program.

On Monday, June 9, 2025, Penn High School graduated approximately 852 members of the Class of 2025! Click here for information on this remarkable class responsible for $22 million in scholarships!

Penn-Harris-Madison’s District and Penn High School Communications staff are pleased to offer a video archive of the Commencement Ceremony and a photo gallery from this memorable night. Click here for a PDF of the Commencement Program.

Click below to view the photo gallery of candids taken at Commencement and before.

phmexcellence.com/PhotosClassof2025

The photos are FREE to download. While we try to capture as many graduates as possible, unfortunately it’s not possible to get everyone, but we hope you enjoy this complimentary service.

* Please note Inter-State Photography takes individual pictures of every senior with their diplomas and  Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker.

Those pictures are available for purchase through this Inter-State Photography website, https://cpinterstatestudio.shootproof.com/2025PennCommencement. Password:  PHS2025514