During the fall of 1977 preliminary plans were drawn for Bittersweet Elementary School which would be centrally located in the PHM School district. The concept for a school district Planetarium was presented by Art Klinger to PHM Superintendent Dr. A. Dean Speicher, and the PHM School Board at a public school board meeting on May 8, 1978.  On June 10, 1978, it was approved and officially named the PHM Planetarium located at Bittersweet Elementary School.  The planetarium name implies that it will serve the entire Penn-Harris-Madison Community.