Original Research by School Decision on Senator Frank P. Lashlee Career and Technical Center
Senator Frank P. Lashlee Career and Technical Center is a specialized school serving high school grades nine through twelve in Camden, Tennessee. It is not a comprehensive high school. It is a career and technical center, meaning its role is to provide vocational and technical training to students who are typically enrolled at their home high school in Benton County and travel to this center for part of their school day. This distinction is important because it explains why many of the data fields commonly expected for a school are absent or zero.
The center reports no enrollment of its own; the count is zero with a reported status. That figure likely reflects the fact that its students are counted at their base high school, not at this center. For the same reason, there is no information on student demographics, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education, English learner status, or discipline. No state assessment results are available, because testing is conducted through the student's home school, not through this center. No four-year graduation rate is reported, again because the center does not confer diplomas—that is the role of the comprehensive high school. A parent looking for test scores or a graduation rate here will find none, and that is consistent with the nature of the school.
Because the data does not include program offerings, there is no specific list of which career pathways or certifications the center provides. Its name honors a state senator and signals that it is a dedicated facility for career and technical education. In many Tennessee counties, such centers offer courses in areas like health sciences, welding, automotive technology, construction, information technology, and agriculture. A family considering this center would need to contact the Benton County school district or the center directly to learn the exact programs available.
Camden, where the center is located, is a small county-seat town that functions partly as a bedroom community for workers at the Tennessee Valley Authority and the DuPont/Chemours titanium dioxide plant in nearby New Johnsonville, and partly as a base for agriculture and light manufacturing. The town has a compact downtown along the main highway, but school campuses sit on their own parcels, consistent with the typical pattern in rural Tennessee. Housing in the area is moderately priced compared to state and national benchmarks, though specific rental data was not available. The local economy has a mix of industrial employment and farming, and the town has seen slow, stable population growth over recent decades.
For a family in Benton County, this center represents a supplement to a student's regular high school experience rather than a standalone school. A student would attend their home high school for core academic classes and then come to Lashlee for specialized career training. The lack of standalone academic metrics is not a weakness—it is simply not how such centers are measured. The value of this school lies in the hands-on training and industry credentials it can offer. A parent should inquire with the district about transportation, scheduling, and which specific programs are open to students from each of the county's high schools. Without that detail from the available data, the best next step is to reach out to the center or the district office directly.
See more original research from School Decision →