The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in Social studies. The lowest is 28% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Camden Jr High School
Camden Jr High School serves sixth through eighth grade and sits within the Benton County school system, drawing its student body from the town of Camden and the surrounding rural area of Benton County. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment makes it a midsized middle school for Tennessee. The student population is predominantly white, with small shares of students who are Hispanic, Black, Asian, or of two or more races. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, nor were figures on special education or English learner enrollment, so a fuller picture of economic and academic support needs is not possible from the record alone.
Camden itself is a small county-seat town with a stable, slow-growth population. The local economy draws on agriculture, a light-industrial manufacturing facility operated by Jones Plastic and Engineering, and a workforce that commutes to the Tennessee Valley Authority and the DuPont titanium dioxide plant in nearby New Johnsonville. Housing values in the area are well below national and state benchmarks, which may make the community more affordable for families. The town is auto-oriented, and the school is situated on its own campus rather than integrated into a walkable downtown, a pattern common among small Tennessee towns.
On state assessments, Camden Jr High School shows uneven results. In math, a share of students scored at the proficient or above level that places the school below the statewide average for its grade band. English language arts proficiency is lower still, with a smaller share reaching that benchmark. Science and social studies outcomes are stronger, with about half of tested students scoring proficient or above, a level that is more competitive with state figures. Participation rates on all assessments were very high, which means the results reflect nearly the entire student body.
Because there is only one school district in Benton County, the data does not permit a county-level comparison of Camden Jr High against other districts. That means a parent cannot use this data to benchmark the school against nearby peers in the same county, though the state-level proficiency averages offer some context.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Discipline data, course access information, and staffing ratios were not available in the record, which limits a family's ability to assess the climate around student behavior, the breadth of elective or advanced coursework, or class sizes. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these topics.
For what is measurable, the academic picture is mixed. Math and English language arts results are softer than state norms, while science and social studies hold up better. The community context is that of a slow-growth, affordable rural town where the school is one of three public schools in the district serving Camden students, alongside an elementary school and a high school. The school's size is manageable for its grade band, and it participates fully in the state testing program, providing clear data points for families to consider.
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