September 17, 2020

From the Desk of Dr. Davis, HPS Superintendent | College kids coming home? Things to remember:

What you need to know about the Stay in Place order for GVSU students.

By now, you’ve likely heard the latest news from Grand Valley State University. Due to the high number of positive COVID-19 test results among students on and around the campus, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health has issued a “Stay in Place” order for GVSU students. 


While we agree with this decision as a way to protect the health and well-being of GVSU students, staff and the rest of Ottawa County, we are concerned that a failure to follow this order could negatively impact HPS families, spreading COVID-19 into Holland, and possibly result in the closure of all school districts in Ottawa County.

We know that many of our current HPS students have big brothers and big sisters who are Lakers, Spartans, Flying Dutchmen, Chippewas, or Wolverines. As you know, the number of positive cases for young adults, ages 18-24, is growing faster than any other group. Some of these college students may be leaving their dorms and campuses and moving back home. Some of these students may unknowingly be bringing COVID-19 home with them. 

Here are a few things we want you to keep in mind before big brother or big sister come back home from their college campus in the middle of the term:

  • If an HPS student has close contact (within 6 feet for a cumulative of 15 minutes) with a college student sibling who has tested positive for COVID-19, they must stay home from school and self-quarantine for 14 days from the last known exposure. These students should also be tested and have a negative result before coming back to school.
  • We suggest your returning college student also get tested for COVID-19.
  • We encourage you to self-quarantine with your entire family until everyone in the house has a negative test result OR has no symptoms for 14 days.

Please consult your family doctor or healthcare provider with additional  questions or concerns. Remember, our school nurses are also here to assist you.


Our Return to Learn plan is working. We appreciate the collective effort of everyone in the district. Our staff and students have worked very hard to get schools open and to keep them open. We’ve done it by doing the things that protect ourselves. But more importantly, we’ve all demonstrated a commitment to doing things that will protect others from contracting COVID-19. Keep up the great work!

Dr. Brian Davis
Superintendent