Gaowa Montessori School
Gaowa Montessori School is a licensed child care center in Costa Mesa, CA, licensed for up to 120 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2020. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times and investigated 1 complaint, 1 of them substantiated. The state issued 5 citations, 3 of them Type A (the most serious). None of them came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #41 of 47 centers in Costa Mesa and has more citations per inspection than 92% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on interview, Staff 1 (S1) hit Child 1 (C1) which is an immediate risk to the health, safety, and personal rights to children in care. 8 Children’s Personal Rights in Child Care- California Child Care Licensing- https://ccld.childcarevideos.org/
Based on interviews and record review, amphetamines and Fentanyl were discovered in facility restroom accessed by staff and parents which poses an immediate risk to the health of the children in care. Request Denied
Based on interviews, the licensee did not ensure the children were provided a safe environment due to amphetamines and Fentanyl discovered in facility restroom accessed by staff and parents which poses an immediate risk to the personal rights of the children in care.
Based on interviews and record review, the facility did not report 11/8/24 incident to the Department in a timely manner. This is a potential health and safety risk to the children in care.
Based on observation and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in 4 medications were expired which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Complaint investigations
Methamphetamine and Fentanyl found in baggy in facility restroom.
Reporting requirements.
Personal Rights.
How often are complaints about daycares in Orange County substantiated? See the county-by-county report →
About this center
Common questions
Does Gaowa Montessori School take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Gaowa Montessori School had any serious violations?
California issued 3 Type A citations since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Apr 24, 2025, for personal rights. Each citation is listed in full above.
Have there been complaints about Gaowa Montessori School?
California investigated 1 complaint since 2021 and substantiated 1. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Gaowa Montessori School compare with other daycares in Costa Mesa?
It is tied for #41 of 47 centers in Costa Mesa 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 Gaowa Montessori School last inspected?
Mar 4, 2025. The state issued at least one citation during that visit.
How much does Gaowa Montessori School cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Gaowa Montessori School for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Costa Mesa, was $1,098 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Gaowa Montessori School?
The licensee is Zhao, Hongmei & Moreno, Alejandro, and the administrator listed with the state is Julie Bergman.
Licensed centers nearby
2380 Norte Dame Road, Costa Mesa · ZIP 92626 away · 24 spots No citations Harbor Trinity Preschool
1230 Baker St, Costa Mesa · ZIP 92626 away · 90 spots Among the most cited Int'l Christian Montessori Academy of Costa Mesa
2950 McClintock Way, Costa Mesa · ZIP 92626 away · 41 spots More citations than most Int'l Christian Montessori Academy of Costa Mesa
2950 McClintock Way, Costa Mesa · ZIP 92626 away · 22 spots More citations than most NMUSD Paularino Preschool
1060 Paularino Avenue, Costa Mesa · ZIP 92626 away · 24 spots No citations NMUSD Killybrooke Preschool
3155 Killybrooke Lane, Costa Mesa · ZIP 92626 away · 24 spots No citations
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 304371438 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.