CHOICE Technical Academy

CHOICE Technical Academy is a very small 9-12 campus in OWATONNA, Minnesota, part of TECHNICAL ACADEMIES OF MINNESOTA. The school educates 44 students in grades 7 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 88% leaner than the state mean of about 371.

CHOICE Technical Academy is one of 2 schools operated by TECHNICAL ACADEMIES OF MINNESOTA, a district that instructs 116 students overall.

On demographics, CHOICE Technical Academy records that the largest single group is White, at 61% of enrollment; the rest comes out to 30% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 2% Black. The wider county runs roughly 86% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school lists 1 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 38.6:1. The state averages around 16.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 75% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Steele County runs at roughly 41%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Steele County indicate the typical household earns roughly $84,196 per year, about 28% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Across Steele County's 24 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,997 students), CHOICE Technical Academy is one campus in the mix.

OWATONNA ECSE is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a small-town site. CHOICE Technical Academy operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 17%: 53 students in 2018 compared to 44 in 2025. The White share of enrollment fell from 81% to 61% over that span. Class-load math has grew: from 10.5:1 in 2018 to 38.6:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.