Academy of Excellence · School-Age Program, Lancaster
Academy of Excellence is a licensed child care center in Lancaster, CA, licensed for up to 30 children and serving school-age children. It has held its California license since 2023. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it twice and investigated 2 complaints, 2 of them substantiated. The state issued 4 citations, 2 of them Type A (the most serious). 1 citation came in the last 12 months, including 1 Type A. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #62 of 68 centers in Lancaster and has more citations per inspection than 92% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
(a) The licensee shall ensure that each child .following personal rights: (3) To be free from corporal or unusual punishment, infliction of pain, humiliation, intimidation, ridicule, coercion, threat, ...including but not limited to: interference with... physical functioning. Director/Licensee states that both staff 1&2 were retrained on 10/10/25. Staff will be positioned on playground at 11am and 5pm for supervision. Director/Licensee states that he will also conduct training for all staff on 1/24/26 for supervision and personal rights. Director/Licensee will provide proof of completeion to LPA via email 1/26/25. This requirement was not met as evidence by: Based on observation, interviews and record reviews Staff did not have visual observation of the children on the playground when the incident occurred, which poses an immediate risk...safety and personal rights of the clients in care. 8
Based on interviews conducted, staff failed to ensure that all children were removed from the van after school pick up. C1 was left alone outside the facility sleep in the van which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on interviews and record reviews the licensee did not ensure the above allegation that C1 was Left inside of a parked vehicle was reported to CCL, which poses a potential risk to the health safety and personal rights of the clients in care.
Based on observation, interview, record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in facility roster was not updated and C1 information was not on the roster which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care
Complaint investigations
Allegation #1-Personal Rights-Staff did not intervene when other children were bulling by another child.
Facility staff left a day care child inside of a parked vehicle
How often are complaints about daycares in Los Angeles County substantiated? See the county-by-county report →
About this center
Other licenses at this address
Common questions
Does Academy of Excellence take infants?
Not under this license, which covers school-age children. An infant center is licensed separately at the same address (listed below).
Has Academy of Excellence had any serious violations?
California issued 2 Type A citations since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Jan 15, 2026, for personal rights. Each citation is listed in full above.
Have there been complaints about Academy of Excellence?
California investigated 2 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 2. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Academy of Excellence compare with other daycares in Lancaster?
It is tied for #62 of 68 centers in Lancaster by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 92% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Academy of Excellence last inspected?
Apr 8, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Academy of Excellence cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Academy of Excellence for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Los Angeles County, which includes Lancaster, was $821 a month for school-age children (about $1,040 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Academy of Excellence?
The licensee is Chauncy Smith, and the administrator listed with the state is Chauncy Smith.
Licensed centers nearby
1324 West Avenue J Suite 5, Lancaster · under 0.1 mi away · 8 spots Too few inspections to compare Academy of Excellence
1324 West Avenue J Suite 5, Lancaster · under 0.1 mi away · 53 spots Among the most cited Desert Montessori Academy
1030 W Avenue L8, Lancaster · ZIP 93534 away · 22 spots Among the most cited The Learning Tree Preschool
44662 15th Street West, Lancaster · 0.4 mi away · 225 spots More citations than most CCRC 10th Street Head Start
44236 10th Street West, Lancaster · 0.4 mi away · 54 spots Among the most cited CCRC 10th Street Head Start
44236 10th St West, Lancaster · 0.4 mi away · 80 spots Among the most cited
Citations are quoted from California Department of Social Services inspection and complaint reports. Type A citations are the state’s most serious category (an immediate risk to children’s health, safety or personal rights); Type B citations are a potential risk. A citation is a finding about one rule, not a judgment about a center overall. Complaint allegations appear here only when the state substantiated them.
To read the full state reports, search facility number 197750163 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 3, 2026.
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