First School of the Desert-la Quinta
First School of the Desert-la Quinta is a licensed child care center in La Quinta, CA, licensed for up to 145 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2001. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times and investigated 2 complaints, none 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 7 centers in La Quinta 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 First School of the Desert-la Quinta take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has First School of the Desert-la Quinta had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021.
Have there been complaints about First School of the Desert-la Quinta?
California investigated 2 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 0. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does First School of the Desert-la Quinta compare with other daycares in La Quinta?
It is tied for #1 of 7 centers in La Quinta by weighted citations per inspection, and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
When was First School of the Desert-la Quinta last inspected?
Jul 15, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does First School of the Desert-la Quinta cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask First School of the Desert-la Quinta for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Riverside County, which includes La Quinta, was $856 a month for preschoolers (about $1,080 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs First School of the Desert-la Quinta?
The licensee is First School Of The Desert, and the administrator listed with the state is Maria Marquez.
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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 334809049 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.