Summary:
Benton County Schools in Tennessee serves 2,150 students across 6 schools — elementary, middle, high, and alternative campuses spanning grades PK through 12. Overall, this is a low-ranking district (21st percentile statewide), but it has clear pockets of strength that matter for parents.
For high school families, Camden Central High School stands out with a strong 98.1% graduation rate and impressive results in advanced courses — 94.4% proficiency in 9th-grade Biology and 82.8% in 10th-grade Algebra II, both far above state averages. However, it struggles with on-grade-level courses: only 15.5% of students are proficient in Algebra I and 20.2% in English I. This suggests your student will find a rigorous path if they're ready for advanced work, but may need extra support if they enter below grade level. Meanwhile, Big Sandy School (K–8) is a bright spot in science, with 52.1% proficiency — above the state's 46.9% — and the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 14.9%. Yet its math proficiency is just 19.8%, and 5th-grade math sits at a concerning 5.3%.
At the middle school level, Camden Junior High School dropped sharply in one year, falling from the 61st to 37th percentile — with math proficiency down from 44.4% to 32.7% and ELA from 27.9% to 22.8%. If your child attends, expect a need for close monitoring. Briarwood School (grades 3–5) is the most stable elementary option, with math (37.6%) and ELA (36.3%) near district highs, though still below state averages. Holladay Elementary School spends the most per student ($13,861) but has the highest chronic absenteeism (21.5%) and mixed results — 4th-grade math is strong at 61.5%, but most other scores lag. Camden Elementary School serves only PK–2, so no test data is available. Overall, the district needs targeted math intervention and attendance support at Holladay, while Camden Central and Big Sandy show what works.
Thank you for your feedback!