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Goddard School to open soon in Temple Terrace

By Robbyn Mitchell, Times Staff Writer
In print: Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The new Goddard School is to open in July at 13401 Tampa Oaks Blvd., near I-75 and Fletcher Avenue. All the teachers have at least a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
	[Special to the Times]

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TEMPLE TERRACE — Local parents looking for an upscale preschool experience will have another option in mid July.

The Goddard School franchise, which began in King of Prussia, Pa., is coming to the Temple Terrace area at 13401 Tampa Oaks Blvd., and may be offering some classes you'd expect to see on a college course list.

"We teach yoga in our infants room, and Spanish, German or French and world history to the toddlers," said Lisa Fisher, director of marketing for Goddard Systems Inc., which has more than 250 schools nationwide.

"But it's not like we have textbooks. We mainly teach through play because studies show children learn well that way," Fisher said.

While company officials declined to estimate how much they will charge, the full-day program at a Jacksonville Goddard school runs $740 a month for prekindergarten and $980 a month for infants.

The Temple Terrace school, which broke ground in December, will be completed and staffed by the summer, owner Brad Toston said.

"All the teachers are required to have at least a bachelor's degree in early childhood education," he said. The company says it has more than 250 schools nationwide.

Toston, who works in the technology industry, said that he first heard about the Goddard School from a friend in Pennsylvania who had children attending one.

"He told me how great it was and how they were looking for opportunities to build in Florida, so I researched and came on board," he said.

He and his partner, former McDonald's Corp. chief executive Ed Rensi, chose a site just west of Interstate 75 in the Temple Terrace area.

"We saw an opportunity in this area because there is so much commuter traffic," Toston said. "Though we are physically located in Temple Terrace, we also serve New Tampa because of our proximity to the highway."

Robbyn Mitchell can be reached at (813) 269-5313 or rmitchell@sptimes.com.