Lawrence County School System
Lawrence County is home to one of the best school systems in the State of Tennessee. For many years, our schools have maintained one of the leading graduation rates in the state and has definitively led the region in terms of academic achievement as evidenced by many awards and accolades. Most recently, Lawrenceburg Public School was named a Tennessee Reward School, David Crockett Elementary earned RTI2B designation for the third year in a row, and Ethridge Elementary was awarded the Tennessee School of STEAM Designation. All three of our high schools, Loretto High, Summertown High, and Lawrence County High, are listed among the nation’s “Best High Schools” by the U.S. News and World Report.
Lawrence County’s public school system is governed by nine elected board members and is operated as one county system by Director of Schools, Mr. Michael Adkins. Our system serves 7,000 students and is composed of thirteen schools including eight primary schools, one middle school, three high schools, and one virtual school. We also operate an Adult High School giving students and adults a non-traditional classroom opportunity to earn a high school diploma.
Our focus on Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs and Early Post-Secondary Opportunities (EPSOs) has created a culture of college and career success. High school junior and seniors can earn academic credit for both high school graduation and college-level coursework through dual enrollment opportunities provided by Columbia State Community College and three Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology. During the 2021-2022 school year, Lawrence County Schools awarded 924 nationally recognized industry certifications as students worked towards graduation—simultaneously building a resumé while earning a diploma.
Many organizations partner with and advocate for the continued success and improvement of Lawrence County Schools. The Lawrence County Education Foundation supports students financially through mini-grants and individual project donations. The Ayers Foundation provides our system with college counselors that support students as they plan their academic future. Additionally, many of our schools maintain a strong Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and the business community sponsors programs promoting work ethic and career awareness throughout the entire system.
For more information about the Lawrence County School System, visit LCSS.us.
Private & Parochial Schools
Christ Life Academy
Kindergarten - 10th Grade
Baptist
Sacred Heart Catholic School
Kindergarten - 8th Grade
Roman Catholic
Sacred Heart Loretto
Kindergarten - 8th Grade
Roman Catholic
Area Colleges & Universities
Our educational institutions and local leadership understand the value of technical education in training the next generation of skilled tradesmen and women. This is because our local business & industry engage our education system in a meaningful way—creating a culture where the trades and celebrated, not looked down upon. Don’t just take our word for it; trust the numbers. While Lawrence County is the 35th most populous county of Tennessee’s 95 counties, our students make up more than 6% of the state’s total technical college enrollment.
We are served by two Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) operating five local instructional service centers offering technical degrees in welding, industrial maintenance, CNC machining, building technologies, and nursing. TCAT-Pulaski and TCAT-Hohenwald enroll a combined 1,736 full-time and nearly 800 part-time students annually, and award more than 375 degrees each year. Through the Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect programs, these programs are available at no cost to students as they pursue their vocational education. Your business is able to connect directly with instructors and students alike to either recruit quality talent or design customized training to your employees as your business grows.
For two and four-year degree opportunities, Lawrence County is served by Columbia State Community College, the University of Tennessee Southern, and Tennessee Technological University at the Southern Tennessee Higher Education Center. Columbia State offers more than 50 Associate-level programs of study and enrolls 5,449 students annually including 518 Lawrence Countians. Tennessee Tech and the University of Tennessee offer on-ground Bachelor-level programs. Tennessee Tech, specifically, allows students to take courses close to home and in an accelerated format to earn degrees in Workplace Leadership and Human Behavior. Through this “cohort” model, they also have the opportunity to take classes with other working professionals – allowing them to move through the degree program as a cohesive team ready to tackle new opportunities facing local industry.
