Bittersweet News
December 20, 2022
Winter/Spring 2022-23 Overview: Safe and Healthy Learning Environment
We welcome public feedback. Please email: feedback@phm.k12.in.us
Safe Drinking Water Act
Dear Bittersweet Parent/Guardian:
In accordance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, Penn-Harris-Madison recently participated in a voluntary State program to test our school’s drinking water for lead. This program was offered to all Indiana public schools and childcare facilities. It specifically tests all water fixtures in the school that may provide drinking or cooking water to students. Participation in this program is in addition to the monthly drinking water tests performed by the school district required by the St. Joseph County Department of Health.
In our school, a total number of 61 fixtures were tested. 98% of those fixtures did not present lead levels that exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s “action level” of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
However, 1 fixture presented lead levels that exceeded the EPA’s action level. The action level of 15 ppb is not a measure of health effects. Instead, it signals the school facility to take steps to reduce lead in the water. Lead found in tap water typically comes from the corrosion of interior plumbing fixtures and materials that contain lead, not usually from the water supply. Therefore, all fixtures identified with any level of lead were addressed by the remediation plan below:
The safety of our students is a top priority. Therefore, we want to share with you the steps we are taking to ensure student and staff safety.
One or more of the following actions have been taken to address this situation:
• Immediately shut off the water to the fixture
• Installed signs (where applicable) indicating these fixtures are for hand-washing only
• Replaced the fixture and other support components, such as shutoffs and flexible lines
• Re-tested the water at that identified fixture to ensure the problem had been resolved before bringing it back online.
If you would like a copy of the complete testing results for the school or more information about the findings, please contact the P-H-M Facilities Office at 574-258-9566.
The health and safety of our school community is a top priority for the school corporation, and we take many precautions, like testing and inspections, to keep everyone as safe as possible.
#PHMExcellence
Penn-Harris-Madison schools are focused on continuous academic improvement that results in academic success for all students.
For more details on the Indiana GPS and to view P-H-M's district GPS and our school's profile, click here.
Excellence Happens Here
In St. Joseph County since the Community Foundation began administering the Lilly Scholarship in 1998, 33 Penn Scholars have been named accounting for 25% of the total number of Scholars! Last year Penn had four Penn seniors named Lilly Scholars.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are chosen based on community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. The scholarship provides for full tuition, fees, and books for four years, full-time, undergraduate study at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.
