Montessori School of the Desert

73-925 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 · Riverside County

Closed Child care center (preschool)

This center is closed. California lists its license as closed as of Dec 14, 2024. Its state inspection history is shown below.

Montessori School of the Desert was a licensed child care center in Palm Desert, CA, licensed for up to 69 children. Its license closed around December 2024. Since February 2021, the state inspected it twice, investigated 1 complaint (1 substantiated) and issued 2 citations, none of them Type A. Its inspection history is kept here for reference.

Inspection history

0 Type A citations

2 Type B citations

2 Inspections

1 of 1 Complaints substantiated

Every state visit

Citation issued No citation Top row: inspections · bottom row: complaint investigations and other visits

What inspectors cited most

Caregiver conduct 2

Citations, newest first

Type B Mar 18, 2025 Complaint investigation Caregiver conduct

Personal rights §101223(a)(3)

Based on statements made by staff, children and confidential witnesses revealed that S1 would yell at the children, and children would be afraid. This poses a potential personal rights risk to children in care

Plan of correction due Mar 18, 2025

Type B Mar 15, 2024 Inspection Caregiver conduct

Personal Rights

Based on file review and interview, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in the facility has not notified our agency if lead testing was completed, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.

Plan of correction due Mar 22, 2024

Complaint investigations

Substantiated Mar 18, 2025 Complaint investigation received Feb 4, 2025

Substantiated allegation:

Staff yell at day care children

1 citation issued during this investigation, listed under Citations.

About this center

Licensed capacity 69 children

License type Child care center (preschool)

License status Closed

Licensed since Mar 26, 1991

Closed Dec 14, 2024

Licensee Chrisanthie Wickremesinghe

Last administrator Veronica Gutierrez

State facility # 330910335

Licensed centers nearby

The Academy of Palm Desert Comm. Presby. Church
47-321 Highway 74, Palm Desert · ZIP 92260 away · 120 spots Among the most cited Little Scholars Childcare Center
73-925 Fred Waring Dr, Palm Desert · ZIP 92260 away · 69 spots Too few inspections to compare Aleph Schoolhouse
73-550 Santa Rosa Way, Palm Desert · ZIP 92260 away · 25 spots About typical Lincoln Ece Center
74-101 Magnesia Falls Drive, Palm Desert · ZIP 92260 away · 17 spots About typical Desert YMCA/Ford School
44-210 Warner Trail, Palm Desert · ZIP 92260 away · 48 spots No citations First School-palm Desert
73-247 Hovely Lane West, Palm Desert · ZIP 92260 away · 74 spots More citations than most

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 330910335 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 3, 2026.

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