Penn’s 2025-2026 Open House scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 27

Penn High School will host an Open House for parents/guardians/students from 6:30-8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

Parents and guardians will follow their students’ schedules during the Open House to meet instructors and get a brief overview of the course.

The Open House is also an opportunity to learn about resources at Penn designed to assist student achievement.

Be sure to get your student’s schedule and the class timetable before attending the Open House.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE

  • 6:30 – 6:35 p.m. Passing to Class 
  • 6:35 – 6:43 p.m. First Block Gold
  • 6:48 – 6:56 p.m. Second Block Gold
  • 7:01 – 7:09 p.m. Third Block Gold
  • 7:14 – 7:22 p.m. Fourth Block Gold
  • 7:27 – 7:35 p.m. First Block Black
  • 7:40 – 7:48 p.m. Second Block Black
  • 7:53 – 8:01 p.m. Third Block Black
  • 8:06 – 8:14 p.m. Fourth Block Black

 

Penn Walk-Around Photo Gallery

Penn High School hosted a Walk-Around on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, to give incoming students the opportunity to learn about Penn’s clubs, academic teams and extra-curricular activities, as well as tour the building.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Registration open for Penn Future Kingsmen Leagues (Boys Grades 1-8, Girls Grades 1-2)

Registration for the Penn Kingsmen Basketball Leagues (Boys Grades 1-8, Girls Grades 1-2) is now open.

Visit the PDFs below for details and registration links.

Please contact the League Director Coach Smith if you have any questions about the league: jsmith5@phm.k12.in.us

Click here for the Boys and Girls Grades 1 & 2 registration link.

Boys and Girls Grades 1 & 2 (2025-2026 school year)

  • Dates: September 21-October 19 (Sundays Only)
  • Location: Penn H.S. Fitness Center- Enter through Door G
  • Time: Sunday Sessions 10-11:05 a.m.
  • Cost: $80 or $105 (if you need a new jersey)
  • Schedule: 20 minutes of Drills & 40 minutes of Games

Click here for the Boys Grades 3 & 4 Boys Registration link

Boys Grades 3 & 4 (2025-2026 school year)

  • Dates: September 21-October 19 (Sundays only)
  • Location: Penn HS Fitness Center- Enter through Door G
  • Time: Sunday Sessions 11:15 a.m.-12:25 p.m.
  • Cost: $80 or $105 (If you need a Jersey)
  • Schedule: 20 minutes of Drills and 40 minutes of Games
  • Don’t wait to sign up! League Max: 60 players

Click here for the Boys Grades 5 & 6 Registration Link

Boys Grades 5 & 6 (2025-2026 school year)

  • Dates: September 14-October 19 (Sundays)
  • Location Penn H.S. -Arena/Aux. Gym/West Balcony (Door D)
  • Time: 3:45 p.m. Start Time
  • Wednesday Night: Drills/Skills – 1hour, 15 minutes, start @ 6 p.m. (Days subject to change)
  • Cost: $135 (Additional $25 for annual new jersey if needed)

Click here for the Boys Grades 7 & 8 Registration link

Boys Grades 7 & 8 (2025-2026 school year)

  • Dates: September 7-October 12 (Sundays)
  • Location Penn H.S. – Arena/Aux. Gym/West Balcony (Door D)
  • Time: 2:30 p.m. Start Time
  • Wednesday Night-TBD Drills/Skills – 1 hour, 15 minutes, start @7:15 p.m. (Days subject to change)
  • Cost: $135 (Additional $25 for annual new jersey if needed)

2025 Grades 1-4 Fall Basketball League

2025 Grades 5-8 Fall Basketball League

️Penn Youth Girls Basketball ️️League Sign-ups set for Sunday, Aug. 24

️Sign-ups for the 2025 Penn Youth Girls Basketball ️️League are scheduled for 12-2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24.
 
The sign-ups will be in the Penn High School Main Arena (Enter Door D).
 
Click on the PDFs below for complete details/schedule
The leagues are for students in Grades 3-8 for the 2025-2026 school year.
League Division Times
  • Grades 3-4: 8-10 a.m.
  • Grades 5-6: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
  • Grades 7-8: 12-2 p.m.

Important League Dates:

  • Sunday, Sept. 7: Skills evaluation
  • Sunday, Sept. 14: Teams announced
  • Sunday, Sept. 21: Games begin
  • Sunday, Nov. 2: Tournament
  • Sunday, Nov. 9: Travel Team Tryouts for Grades 3-6

Penn Youth Girls Basketball League 2025 FORM

2025_2026 calendar for PGYBL

Chromebook Insurance

Visit this PDF for Chromebook insurance information.

All-Sports Passes

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.

All-Sports Passes

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 Girls Flag Football Makes History with Inaugural Summer Camp

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.

Board Approves New Administrators at Dr. Short’s First Meeting

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:

New Administrators Board Approved at Dr. Short’s First 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.

New Administrators Board Approved at Dr. Short’s First Meeting

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. 

New Administrators Board Approved at Dr. Short’s First Meeting

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. 

P-H-M Students Excel on Spring 2025 ILEARN

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

  Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
PHM 71% 65% 65% 52% 57% 63%
State 52% 50% 42% 40% 36% 35%
Variance +19% +15% +23% +12% +21% +28%


ILEARN ELA

  Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
PHM 60% 55% 64% 57% 56% 64%
State 41% 42% 41% 41% 38% 43%
Variance +19% +13% +23% +16% +18% +21%