Benton County

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Camden, Tennessee - 6 schools

An equity score of 53/100 ranks Benton County #20 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,334 per pupil, Benton County ranks #42 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,163
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$11,334
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Benton County operates 6 public schools serving 2,163 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Benton County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,334 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 26.0% local, 44.9% state, and 29.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 53/100, ranked #20 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 311.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 20.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.2% White, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 2.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Holladay Elementary, with a diversity index of 27.9/100.

Its largest campus is Camden Central High School, enrolling 563 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Holladay Elementary, at 134 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Camden Central High School accounts for 26.0% of all Benton County student enrollment

That concentration means Benton County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Benton County school enrollment varies 4.2× across entities

Benton County school enrollment ranges from 134 students (lowest) to 563 students (highest), a spread of 429 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Benton County student-counselor ratio is 311:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Benton County is typically wider than the Benton County-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Benton County chronic absenteeism rate is 20.3% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Benton County is typically wider than the Benton County-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

29.1%
Federal
44.9%
State
26.0%
Local

Funding Equity

53
Equity Score
20 / 140
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Benton County.

White 89.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
African American 2.7%
Multiracial 3.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 19.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Benton County's schools, below the Tennessee average of 38.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Holladay Elementary 27.9
  2. 2 Camden Jr High School 22.6
  3. 3 Camden Central High School 21.7
  4. 4 Camden Elementary 20.6
  5. 5 Briarwood School 18.9

Programs & Resources

2 / 6
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
311.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Benton County

School Enrollment
Camden Central High School
563
Camden Elementary
442
Briarwood School
395
Camden Jr High School
373
Big Sandy School
243
Holladay Elementary
134

How Benton County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Wayne County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Polk County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lakeland Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Alcoa Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Unicoi County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Benton County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Tennessee

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools
109,797 students · 222 schools · $13,650/pupil
Compare vs Benton County →
Davidson County
80,651 students · 161 schools · $15,421/pupil
Compare vs Benton County →
Knox County
60,609 students · 93 schools · $10,538/pupil
Compare vs Benton County →
Rutherford County
50,707 students · 51 schools · $10,141/pupil
Compare vs Benton County →
Hamilton County
45,902 students · 81 schools · $12,002/pupil
Compare vs Benton County →

Compare Benton County

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Memphis-Shelby County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Benton County?

Benton County has 6 schools, including 1 high, 3 combined, 1 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 2,163 students.

How much does Benton County spend per student?

Benton County spends $11,334 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #20 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Benton County?

Benton County students are 89.2% White, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 2.7% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Benton County?

Benton County has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #20 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.