St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool
St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool is a licensed child care center in Rancho Sta Margarita, CA, licensed for up to 69 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2015. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 2 times. The state issued 1 citation, 1 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 #7 of 12 centers in Rancho Sta Margarita and has more citations per inspection than 72% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on interviews and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in that, Child 1 (C1) was left alone in the classroom without teacher supervision, which poses an immediate health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
About this center
Common questions
Does St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool had any serious violations?
California issued 1 Type A citation since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Jan 28, 2026, for care and supervision. Each citation is listed in full above.
How does St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool compare with other daycares in Rancho Sta Margarita?
It is tied for #7 of 12 centers in Rancho Sta Margarita by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 72% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool last inspected?
Oct 16, 2025. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Rancho Sta Margarita, was $1,098 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs St. Junipero Serra Catholic Preschool?
The licensee is Diocese Of Orange, and the administrator listed with the state is Michelle A. Bentley.
Licensed centers nearby
23371 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Sta Margarita · 0.3 mi away · 135 spotsNo citationsThe Rancho Viejo School
29782 Avenida De Las Banderas, Rancho Sta Margarita · 0.7 mi away · 120 spotsAmong the most citedThe Rancho Viejo School
29792 Avenida Banderas, Rancho Sta Margarita · 0.7 mi away · 15 spotsToo few inspections to compareSaddleback Valley YMCA-tijeras Creek
23072 Avenida Empressa, Rcho Sta Marg · 0.8 mi away · 90 spotsAbout typicalCal Elite Kids-preschool Academy
22982 Avenida Empresa, Rancho Sta Margarita · 0.8 mi away · 90 spotsMore citations than mostAppliedkids Child Development Center
30281 Esperanza, Rancho Santa Margari · 1.0 mi away · 60 spotsToo few inspections to compare
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 304371061 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.