Growing Goddard School To Take Over Shuttered Fitler Square Petco
The Goddard School is adding a third location to its Fitler Square campus. The new school, taking over the former Petco store at 520 S. 23rd Street, is slated to open in spring 2025.
The expansion comes as the school's current waitlist stretches into next year and beyond, with over 400 families waiting for spots. “The need in this community is [for children] two and under, with an emphasis on infants and one-year-olds,” explained Jon Drialo, who co-owns the schools with Jillie Staffiera, in an interview with The Fitler Focus.
The new location will primarily serve infants through preschool-aged children, helping to address what Drialo describes as an "absolutely ridiculous" waitlist for infant care.
Increasing Investment in Fitler Square
Rather than expanding to other parts of Philadelphia, the owners chose to deepen their roots in Fitler Square. "This neighborhood, we fell in love with it" says Staffiera. "I don't think we realized the gem that we stumbled upon."
“It’s a beautiful neighborhood. It’s a safe space. It’s residential. I know we’re in Center City, but this feels like you’re in the suburbs of the city,” Staffiera added.
This hyperlocal focus has paid off - according to Drialo, approximately 95% of current families walk to school, many from as far as Graduate Hospital and Naval Square.
The school has become a community hub, particularly for healthcare workers from nearby University City hospitals. "People will come here and say, 'Oh, I think we live on the same block,' or 'I think our kids play together,'" Staffiera notes. "It's been this wonderful gift where people have been able to find a community."
Focused on Staff
The expansion will create approximately 20 new jobs, with the school taking an innovative approach to staffing. They've already begun hiring and training new teachers at their existing Pine Street location, deliberately overstaffing to ensure experienced personnel on day one.
"We want to become the highest paying preschool in Center City so that once they're here, they can't leave us," says Drialo.
The school also retains talent by intentionally promoting from within. Staffiera herself exemplifies this growth mindset, having started as a 22-year-old teacher at one of Drialo's New Jersey locations before becoming his business partner.
These benefits come with high expectations. During COVID-related staffing challenges, ownership made a surprising discovery about industry standards. "We sat down with the last nine hires," recalls Drialo, "and learned that at their previous schools, the mandate was just 'keep the baby safe until parents pick up.'"
In contrast, Goddard requires teachers to actively engage with children throughout the day. "'You expect us to engage every day with the children down at their level,'" one teacher told them. "'Do you know how hard that is?'"
This higher standard has shaped their hiring and training approach, leading to their current strategy of extensive pre-opening preparation for new staff.
Construction and Timeline
The new building will house eight classrooms across its main floor and basement, along with a faculty lounge and indoor play space.
The new building's design reflects lessons learned from operating their other locations. "Silly stuff," as Drialo calls it, like hallway width and door sizes, has received careful attention.
"The hallways aren't wide enough to push our buggies through at the current location," he explains, "so we make them a couple of inches wider because the teachers can't back them up."
Similarly, classroom doors in the new building will be four inches wider than standard. These seemingly minor adjustments, born from daily operational experience, demonstrate the owners' attention to practical details that affect both staff efficiency and child safety.
While demolition began last month, the owners are being cautious about announcing a firm opening date, citing potential delays with rigorous state licensing. Current estimates range from March to July 2025.
The new location will join their existing campus, which includes their main building on Pine Street and a pre-K annex housed in a converted historic movie theater near the Greys Ferry Triangle.
Families interested in learning more can attend an open house at their Pine Street location on January 11th from 10:00-11:30am, or follow construction updates on Instagram at @goddard.philly.