Debbie Evans Warkentien founded Rancho Viejo Montessori in 1996 in her family’s Rancho Santa Margarita home. The school began with nine students.
Construction of the present campus began in 1997. The school moved into its Avenida de Las Banderas location in January 1998, with toddler, Children’s House, and lower elementary classrooms.
As the school community grew, additional classrooms and learning opportunities followed. That personal beginning continues to shape an education built around children and families.