The Bright Hope project is a $12 million expansion of the school that has been a mainstay at Ferry and Grant in Grand Haven since the early 1950s.

The Grand Haven Christian School (GHCS) was first established in Grand Haven in 1880. The Dutch immigrants settling in West Michigan wanted to base their children’s education on their Dutch Reformed biblical values as well as maintain a connection to their language and culture. Over the years the school held classes in a variety of locations and buildings. In 1950, the school bought five acres of land at 1102 Grant and opened for classes the following year.  In 1957, a junior high wing was added along Colfax Street.

Former Principal Bob DeVries is the chairman of the Bright Hope expansion and with present Principal Tim Annema headed up the successful fundraising effort. The project was designed in cooperation with GMB Architects and Engineering.

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The expansion includes a new gymnasium/auditorium and six new classrooms, which will have an emphasis on STEM.

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In the recent past, some music and fine arts programs and activities had to be held at other locations due to lack of space. These activities will now be back under one roof.    

In the school’s statement of beliefs, GHCS is “committed to Jesus Christ and seeks to teach and live out our historic Christian faith through a Reformed Church lens.” In this way, the truth of the Bible is brought into every subject and aspect in the classroom.

The basis of the school is the concept of the three-legged stool: the partnership of school, church, and life at home with parents and siblings. These elements reinforce and support one another. The relationship of the school with parental support is very important.  

GHCS introduced the Spanish Immersion program in the fall of 2017, and that spurred interest and growth at the school. The program began with a kindergarten class and added a grade level each year. Kindergarten age is optimal for children to be introduced to a second or third language. The program now goes through the seventh grade.

The Spanish Immersion teachers all have degrees in education and come from a variety of countries including Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina. This popular program brings value in increased learning and in social and cultural understanding. It also provides a head start for language requirements in high school and college—which in turn increases job and career opportunities.

The Covid pandemic brought challenges for all schools, but GHCS continued to grow as parents made choices for their children’s education.

With continued interest and growth in enrollment, the school’s limited space put some students on a waiting list until space was available. Not wanting to turn potential students away, in 2022, the school went through renovations to more effectively use the space it had. GHSC moved the offices, added classrooms, and established a single point of entry for safety of the children and staff. Some activities were moved off site. The school also took that opportunity to replace the roof and windows.

GHSC has long shared parking lot space with First CRC of Grand Haven across Colfax Street. Looking to the future, the school had started buying homes across Colfax as they became available. Now that the expansion is underway, that space across the street was cleared and is used for staging. When the project is complete, the area will provide playground and green space for the students and will be open to the neighborhood.  

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For the children’s safety, and since there are no longer any homes on that street, the school would like to see that block of Colfax closed to traffic. But they will need agreement from the City of Grand Haven.

In my conversation with the parents of children at the school, they chose GHCS for a variety of reasons.

Foremost they want their children to receive a quality education with the traditional values the school provides through their Bible-based emphasis.

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They value the friends their children are making at school. Their kids are enrolled in the Spanish Immersion program. The students are learning a second language from teachers that are familiar with the language and countries they are teaching about. The size of the school is important in that it is small enough to remain personal but large enough to offer a variety of opportunities.    

The addition is scheduled to be available to move into in August of 2026. Enrollment for 26/27 is beginning, and information is available on the Grand Haven Christian School website. The school offers childcare for three years and up, part-time preschool, before- and after-school care from 7:00 am until 5:30 pm, as well as summer care.

GHCS has its own lunch program but does partner with Grand Haven Area Public Schools on occupational as well as physical therapy and speech. GHAPS also provides bus service if needed.