News

Adult female reading a book to students sitting on the floor in front of her
Bittersweet Students Achieve 95.9% Pass Rate on 2026 IREAD
Bittersweet Elementary students continued their strong literacy performance on the 2026 IREAD assessment, with 95.9% of students passing. Bittersweet's pass rate is 7.2 percentage points above Indiana's statewide passing rate of 88.7% and is one of five Penn-Harris-Madison elementary schools to achieve a passing rate of 95% or higher. The school's 95.9% passing rate also maintained Bittersweet's strong performance from 2025, when 95.9% of students ...
A group of cheerleaders, high school students, and younger students in a stadium setting, with some standing and others sitting on the grass talking and trading pom-poms.
2026 Kindergarten Kickoff Huge Success
Before the Penn football team kicked off their football season under the Friday Night Lights, another type of kickoff happened under the lights that brought both tears and cheers! Click here to see a full photo gallery. On Friday, August 21, 2026 we held our first-ever Kindergarten Kickoff. It was a sight to behold and warmed our hearts--approximately 175 kindergartners and 100 seniors walking towards ...
Children gathered around a table in a library setting, listening to an adult reading a book aloud.
P-H-M Students Continue Strong Literacy Performance with 94.7% IREAD-3 Pass Rate
MISHAWAKA, IN —With the Indiana Department of Education’s release Tuesday, August 11 of 2026 IREAD-3 results, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Heather Short is proud to share that 94.7% of P-H-M students passed IREAD. P-H-M’s corporation-wide pass rate increased over last school year (2025-2026) and is 6 percentage points higher than this year’s statewide overall passing rate of 88.7%. Five P-H-M elementary schools achieved an ...
A family posing in front of a building with a sign that reads 'Tire Concessions'.
Community Tailgate, Friday August 21, 2026
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 against Valparaiso. Click here for game ticket info. Gates open at ...
Young cheerleaders posing in front of a fence.
Kicking off the Inaugural “Kindergarten Kickoff”
This school year Penn High School will launch a new tradition celebrating the connection between Penn's incoming Senior Class of 2027 and the Kindergarten Class of 2039. At Penn's first home football game on Friday, August 21 after the Community Tailgate (click here for more details on this event) and before the Penn-Valpo game, incoming kindergartners will be welcomed to the P-H-M family during our ...