By Flora Xia l October 26, 2021
The Goddard School of Skillman, located at 876 Route 518, celebrated its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, October 16, complete with games, food, and an open house event. Although the opening was nearly a year behind schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic, nothing could spoil the moment for owner Sanjay Tuladhar.
Tuladhar began his journey in 2017, having experienced firsthand the importance of early childhood education for social and cognitive development. “When my own daughter started going to day care [in 2014] is when I realized the important service this provides to working families,” Tuladhar told The Montgomery News. This is his first venture in the early childhood education industry.
In college, Tuladhar earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, a bachelor’s degree in physics/economics from Wesleyan University, and an MBA in finance from New York University. He spent the majority of his career on Wall Street, at companies such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, before finally deciding to pursue his lifelong passion for education.
The project took off in 2017 after he acquired a property in Montgomery Township to begin construction of the school. “I knew I wanted to start a business, and I wanted it to be related to education. There was no doubt about that,” he said. Another factor was the Montgomery community itself, which Tuladhar describes as “checking all the boxes,” with highly educated families and an excellent school district that prioritizes the needs of its children.
Midway through the project, the pandemic hit. Although state mandates delayed construction, Tuladhar says building in the middle of a pandemic gave him the opportunity to incorporate features into the school to help meet the demands of a challenging, new environment. “Health and safety have always been the number one priority at Goddard,” he says. Tuladhar, who lives in Edison, wanted to make sure the quality of the school reflected his high standards. Some modifications include: the addition of special sanitizing machines and a bacteria-killing paint to keep the school sterile. There is a long-term return for a school that puts priority in the safety of its children first, Tuladhar says.
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However, he admits the pandemic has made the job market difficult to find good, quality teachers. “We have been lucky to recruit some excellent teachers, but we don’t yet have the number we truly want,” he says. As more families enroll, the need for new teachers to meet the increasing demand will grow. Tuladhar plans to open a fulltime kindergarten program when he has increased his staff. Currently, Orchard Hill Elementary School (OHES) offers a half-day program for kindergartners. Many attend OHES then participate in Goddard’s kindergarten enrichment program.
Tuladhar hopes the introduction of a full-day program at Goddard next school year will give families the opportunity to obtain the same learning experience for their children without the added travels. “Goddard’s dual management model means that I’m always on site, along with my directors, taking care of the needs of families and faculty every day. This model really contributes to the high quality families have come to expect from The Goddard School,” Tuladhar added.
The Goddard School Is hiring.
The school is looking for teachers for all age groups (infant through kindergarten). Visit the Goddard School Skillman website for information.
The Goddard School of Skillman
876 Route 518, Skillman, NJ
Phone: 609.608.9339
