Balas Montessori
Balas Montessori is a licensed child care center in Ridgecrest, CA, licensed for up to 75 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2012. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times and investigated 1 complaint, 0 of them substantiated. No visit in that period produced a citation, which puts it among the 34% of ranked California centers with no citations. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #1 of 11 centers in Ridgecrest and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
Inspection record
Every state visit
Citations, newest first
Complaint investigations
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About this center
Common questions
Does Balas Montessori take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Balas Montessori had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021.
Have there been complaints about Balas Montessori?
California investigated 1 complaint since 2021 and substantiated 0. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Balas Montessori compare with other daycares in Ridgecrest?
It is tied for #1 of 11 centers in Ridgecrest by weighted citations per inspection, and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
When was Balas Montessori last inspected?
Jul 21, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Balas Montessori cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Balas Montessori for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Kern County, which includes Ridgecrest, was $837 a month for preschoolers (about $1,060 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Balas Montessori?
The licensee is Shannon M. Balas, and the administrator listed with the state is Shannon M. Balas.
Licensed centers nearby
674 N. Gold Canyon, Ridgecrest · 1.2 mi away · 24 spotsAbout typicalOasis Child Development Center
814 N. Norma Street, Ridgecrest · 1.6 mi away · 68 spotsToo few inspections to compareHeritage Montessori School
934 Heritage Drive, Ridgecrest · 1.7 mi away · 90 spotsAmong the most citedFaller State Preschool
1500 West Upjohn, Ridgecrest · 1.7 mi away · 24 spotsAmong the most citedImmanuel Christian Child Development Center
1201 N. China Lake Blvd., Ridgecrest · 2.0 mi away · 50 spotsAbout typicalImmanuel Christian Child Development Center
1201 N. China Lake Blvd., Ridgecrest · 2.0 mi away · 29 spotsAbout typical
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 153808746 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 3, 2026.
Comparing centers? See how to choose a daycare: 30 questions to ask and a printable checklist.