Swim schools see growth spurt.

Public aquatics facilities that rely on swimming lessons as a major revenue stream are facing a stiff new brand of competition. Private swim schools--the smart, custom-branded, customer satisfaction-guaranteed kind--are suddenly springing up across America as fast as Starbucks.

"There will be one every four miles," says Jon Foss, co-founder and president of Jon Foss Swim School, which has four locations in the greater Minneapolis area.

Most evidence of swim schools' growth is anecdotal, but United States Swim School Association's membership has been growing at a clip of 20 percent a year, says executive director Scott Bartle. Currently, the Maricopa, Ariz.-based organization has 260 members. Aquatics consultants also note the phenomenal growth of swim schools.

"As they get popular and people know what they are, soon there will be a swim school on every block," says Alison Osinski of Aquatic Consulting Services in San Diego. Osinski and others attribute this fast growth to swim schools' smaller, specialized classes that attract youngsters and adults alike.

But it's the customer service that really sets schools apart. Unlike typical public programs, which often serve a large population in a small space with limited hours, a swim school focuses on smaller classes and more personal attention, says Osinski.

"It's not like the public park and rec pools that lose money every year," she says. "The quality swim schools are offering something people are willing to pay money for."

Programs cost anywhere ...