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 here for game ticket info.

Gates open at 5:00 p.m. You must have a ticket to the football game to enter. Once inside the stadium head down to the white tents in the south end zone at the Yeoman Family Plaza.

Friday night marks the 67th meeting between Penn and Mishawaka. Penn leads the all-time series 49-16-1. 

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

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 the nation for school safety initiatives. Click here to read more about P-H-M student success achieved during Dr. Thacker’s tenure.

Dr. Thacker has had a remarkable 53-year career in education working in leadership roles across Indiana and Michigan. As the school year wrapped up and in gratitude for his many contributions to the field of education, Dr. Thacker has received several honors.

These five prestigious awards were conferred upon Dr. Thacker:

• May 4, named IAPSS – District II Superintendent of the Year
  
• May 9
  
  Ivy Tech Community College presented him with an Honorary Degree in College and Community Service at their Commencement
  
• May 9, Head Start Consortium gave him the “Making a Difference” award for his loyal dedication, unwavering commitment, and his indispensable support of Head Start’s mission at Head Start’s 60th Anniversary Celebration and Board Meeting
  
• May 21
  
  Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood presented him with a Key to the City and a proclamation declaring May 21st “Dr. Jerry Thacker Day”
  
• May 30
  
  State Senator Linda Rogers presented him with the Circle of Corydon award on behalf of herself and Governor Mike Braun. The award honors Hoosiers who have made remarkable contributions that have bettered Indiana, and who have demonstrated the qualities exemplified by our state’s greatest citizens

Internally, P-H-M school principals, teachers, and students also wanted to thank Dr. Thacker for his years of service and dedication to the district. Several came up with meaningful ways to express their appreciation:

• May 1, Penn High School Bands recognized him for his “caring leadership and service” at the Spring Concert
  
• May 16
  
  Grissom Middle School students and staff lined the hallways to applaud him as he walked through the school’s hallways
• May 16
  
  Penn High School Building Trades program presented him with a Golden Hammer for recognition of his Outstanding Support and Service 
• May 22
  
  Bittersweet Elementary School students and staff lined the hallways to applaud him as he walked through the school’s hallways
• May 27
  
  Walt Disney Elementary School establishes the “Dr. Jerry Thacker Achievement Award” to recognize students who exemplify persistence, good citizenship, and positive competitiveness
  
• May 30
  
  Schmucker Middle School principal presented him with an Elevation Award for 53 years of service in education to students, teachers, and parents
• June 2
  
  
  Prairie Vista Elementary students performed a “We are your Triangle of Success” presentation and gave him a planter with all the thumbprints of students (grades K-5) and staff to illustrate the impact he’s had on their lives
  
• June 3
  
  Retiring Penn Band Director Glenn Northern, leads the Symphonic Winds section of the Kingsmen Marching Band in the Penn High School Fight song outside Dr. Thacker’s office at the Educational Services Center. Click here to see the video on Facebook.

Before the end of the 2024-2025 school year came to a close, Dr. Thacker shared the video message below with P-H-M students, teachers, and families.

School Trips for FREE! 

2025-2026 

Before you know it, your child may have the awesome opportunity to travel in middle school to Washington, DC in 8th grade, or Europe and/or Asia in 7th/8th grade. The cost of the DC trip is approximately $1,146, but the PTO runs a fundraiser that can help get your child there or on another school-sponsored trip! Using RaiseRight, the average Discovery family earns $25/month, which can almost completely cover the cost of the 8th Grade Trip to Washington, DC during the time that you have at DMS to participate in RaiseRight. In the last 12 years, DMS families have purchased over $2,815,000 worth of gift cards and earned $193,000 in FREE money! 

What is RaiseRight? 
A way to fundraise by using gift cards where you’re already shopping. It’s easy and rewarding! How Does it Work? 

Buy physical gift cards, eGift cards, and/or reloadable gift cards at full face value on the RaiseRight app or online at www.RaiseRight.com. Easily pay online through a secure ACH transaction or with a credit or debit card and earn a rebate between 2% and 20% that immediately goes toward funding your child’s DMS Trip Account (90%) and funding the PTO (10%). Use your full-price gift cards for your everyday shopping. 

Here’s a short video https://youtu.be/lPD4jn7FYvY that shows how the RaiseRight app works right on your phone! You can buy and scan e-cards at a restaurant or while in line to check out.

Where do I sign up? 

1. Fill out this form https://forms.gle/3iZJYcyJPj3GHn3z7 so we know who gets your rebates. 
2. Join our program by creating an account* on the RaiseRight app or online at RaiseRight.com. Our enrollment code is 7A84L4BB37615. The platforms work interchangeably. 
3. Link your bank account to enroll in online payments. Once you do this, you can elect to pay via secure ACH transaction (29 cents per order), via debit card (1% fee per order), or via credit card (2.6% fee per order). The PTO does not accept checks for RaiseRight payments. 

*Note: Only Parents can have RaiseRight accounts for their students. You are welcome to take orders from grandparents, family, and friends, but all orders and payments must be made through the parent’s account. All funds raised in your child’s trip account need to be used for Discovery trips. The account savings can be passed on to a sibling at DMS or gifted to a friend if not used by the end of 8th grade. 

Have a question? Contact the RaiseRight Coordinator, Elizabeth Cichowicz at ema817@aol.com 

Every year, the DMS PTO awards two scholarships to graduating seniors, who were previous DMS graduates, and are pursuing a post-secondary education. Both scholarships this year will be for $1,000. Application deadline is February 28th!
 

We encourage all applicants to complete the entire process using the Google forms. However, you do have the option to print the packet, and submit it per the instructions, if needed.

Either way, please review the packet for full instructions to clearly understand the process and expectations. Contact info is provided if you have any questions.

DMS PTO Scholarship Application
https://forms.gle/EBSpQHTBUr77DGWn6

DMS PTO Scholarship Reference Form
https://forms.gle/e8akpomgeqxAYLJH7

DMS PTO Scholarship packet – printable document
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I2NqNapKxpPSKs8ucVcbs3qipERLp80D2XkV3UNTpwc/edit?usp=sharing