Benton County
Public school district · Benton County · Tennessee · NCES district ID 4700240
Benton County spent $11,411 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 53% of the other Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,310). Its 6 schools enrolled 2,150 students in 2024-25; 49.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $11,970 per student, up 4.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85-89% (Tennessee: 87.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Tennessee districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Benton County in enrollment (2,002 to 2,270 students) and Benton County itself.
Where the money came from
$28,811,000 in revenue: 49.2% state, 29.2% local and 21.6% federal. Total spending including $3,301,000 of capital outlay was $28,391,000, or $13,126 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$14,175,000 49%
- Local$8,415,000 29%
- Federal$6,221,000 22%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 124 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2023-24
2,163 students in 2022-23, 2,130 students in 2023-24, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,163 | 167.5 | 12.9 |
| 2023-24 | 2,130 | 175.5 | 12.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$8,248,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,813 per student
Benton County booked $8,248,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 172 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $48,076 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 4 in 100 Tennessee districts with a figure (state median $57,379, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $7,132,000 | 86.5% |
| Special education | $725,000 | 8.8% |
| Vocational | $391,000 | 4.7% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,641 in 2018-19, $3,853 in 2019-20, $4,042 in 2020-21, $3,988 in 2021-22, $3,813 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Benton County scored proficient or above: 27-31% in reading and 33-37% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Tennessee, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Tennessee | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 27-31% | 35% | 971 |
| Math | 33-37% | 35% | 956 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
85-89% of the 122 students in Benton County's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 85‑89% | 87.3% |
| Students in the class | 122 | 71,510 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
2 elementary schools, 837 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden Elementary | 442 | 13.7 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Briarwood School | 395 | 13.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 373 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden Jr High School | 373 | 14.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 563 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden Central High School | 563 | 16.6 | All free (CEP) | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 other schools, 377 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sandy School | 243 | 8.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Holladay Elementary | 134 | 10.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Benton County
- Website: bcos.org
- Phone: (731) 584-6111
- Office: 197 Briarwood ST, Camden, TN 38320
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Benton County
- Tennessee districts by spending per studentBenton County ranks 59 of 124 Tennessee districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,411).#59 of 124
- Every school district in TennesseeBenton County is the number 95 by size of 148 Tennessee districts, with 2,163 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#95 of 148
- AlcoaThe next larger Tennessee district: 2,211 students in fall 2022, $13,177 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,177
- Wayne CountyThe next smaller Tennessee district: 2,162 students in fall 2022, $11,880 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,880
- Compare Benton County with AlcoaEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Camden Central High School, its largest high school563 students in 2024-25, 16.6 per teacher.563
- Teacher salary spending across TennesseeBenton County spent $48,076 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,379); spending, not a salary.$48,076
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Benton County
How many schools and students are in Benton County?
6 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high, 2 other), enrolling 2,150 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Benton County spend per student?
$11,411 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Tennessee median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,310 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $11,970 per student, up 4.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Benton County's money come from?
$28,811,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 49.2% state, 29.2% local and 21.6% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Benton County live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 552 of the 2,434 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 22.7%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Benton County spend on teacher salaries?
$8,248,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,813 per student. Divided by the 172 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $48,076 per teacher, more than 4 in 100 Tennessee districts (state median $57,379). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Tennessee teacher salary at $53,619 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Benton County do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Benton County scored proficient or above: 27-31% in reading and 33-37% in math, against 35% in reading and 35% in math across Tennessee. Tennessee's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Benton County?
85-89% of the 122 students in Benton County's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Tennessee. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Benton County's NCES district ID?
4700240. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25