Sacramento-area children’s swim school locations will be the region’s first  

TROY, Mich. (Oct. 7, 2025) — Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC has signed an agreement to build the brand’s first Northern California locations in the Sacramento area, slated to open in Spring 2027.

Goldfish Swim School, which provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children aged 4 months to 12 years at more than 200 locations nationwide, will be locally owned and operated by franchise group Blue Wawa Inc., led by husband-and-wife duo Vish and Dee Desai. The Desais have also owned and operated The Goddard School in Roseville, California, since 2023.

“When we first heard about Goldfish Swim School, we knew we’d found something special. Our experience in early childhood education, plus being the parents of three children under the age of 6 ourselves, showed us how powerful Goldfish’s play-based philosophy is for child development,” said Dee Desai. “We look forward to opening the first Goldfish in the Sacramento community to provide families with a swim school that has provided vital swim and safety skills to children across the country, with more than 11 million lessons taught annually.”

Each location will feature a state-of-the-art, shiver-free 90-degree pool, a viewing area for parents and a tropical-themed facility designed to provide a comfortable and enjoyable experience for both kids and parents alike.

With Goldfish Swim School’s unique curriculum, centered on the company’s proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay®, and small class sizes, children will be able to develop essential swim skills, build confidence and have fun in the water. Each school will bring about 50 new jobs to the area.

“We’re confident Vish and Dee’s experience in early childhood education, their passion for water safety and their local knowledge will make them ideal school owners,” said Chris McCuiston, CEO and co-founder of Goldfish Swim School. “Their dedication to creating meaningful community impact, combined with their understanding of how children learn through play, will lead the way as they educate families to be safer in and around the water throughout the Sacramento area.”

Currently, three Goldfish Swim School locations are open and operating in California, in Aliso Viejo, Santa Ana and Ladera Ranch. Goldfish Swim School is currently seeking proven operators in California throughout Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles.

For more information on Goldfish Swim School and its franchising opportunities, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchise-opportunities/ or call 248-801-1850.

About Goldfish Swim School:

Founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Troy, Michigan-based Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children aged 4 months to 12 years. Classes are led by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly environment, using a research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay®. Since opening its first franchised location in 2009, the brand has grown to more than 200 schools in 40 states and Canada, with an additional 150-plus in development. Goldfish is ranked No. 75 overall in Entrepreneur’s 2025 Franchise 500®, has been recognized by Entrepreneur as the No. 1 swimming lessons franchise for nine consecutive years, was named to Franchise Times’ Top 400 in 2025 and is rated as a Top Franchise and a Most Profitable Franchise by Franchise Business Review for 2025.

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