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School district · South Dakota · LEAID 4605610

Belle Fourche School District 09-1

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 sits in the lowest third of South Dakota districts on estimated teacher pay at $48,147 (above only 27% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Belle Fourche School District 09-1 come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$48,147
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$12,635
Per-pupil spending
1,329
Students enrolled
27th
Pct. in SD
$48,147

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 sits in the lowest third of South Dakota districts on estimated teacher pay at $48,147 (above only 27% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $48,147, below the national average of $70,245, serving 1,329 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Belle Fourche School District 09-1 sits in the lowest third of South Dakota districts on estimated teacher pay at $48,147 (above only 27% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 27th percentile for South Dakota
  • 10th percentile nationally
  • 35% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • South Dakota ranks #46 of 49 on the salary estimate and #42 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Belle Fourche School District 09-1 ranks #88 of 121 South Dakota districts by estimated teacher salary and #105 of 121 by per-pupil spending. Eagle Butte School District 20-1 leads both cuts in this pool; pay rank is still not spending rank
  • +19.0% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs South Dakota median

Among 148 South Dakota districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Belle Fourche School District 09-1's instructional payroll puts 14.2% into special education , 4.5 points above the state median of 9.7%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical South Dakota peer.

Program Belle Fourche SD median Gap
Regular program 78.2% 79.9% -1.7 pp
Special education 14.2% 9.7% +4.5 pp
Vocational programs 3.8% 5.1% -1.3 pp
Other programs 3.7% 5.1% -1.4 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 148 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 4605610 · FY2023.

LEAID 4605610 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Belle Fourche F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -5% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P27 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P10 national PPE-LOW $13K/pupil ENR-SMALL 1,329 students INSTR-MID 35% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Lead-Deadwood FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $48,147 estimated average teacher salary · P27 in South Dakota · P10 nationally · 35% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Lead-Deadwood (+$321est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Belle Fourche

Salary neighbourhood · Belle Fourche

Belle Fourche trails most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Belle Fourche

Belle Fourche School District 09-1's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$48,147 10th percentile higher than 10% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). This entry sits in this band. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Belle Fourche in South Dakota's lower-third pay band

Same 121 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Belle Fourche School District 09-1 ranks #88 of 121 South Dakota districts by estimated teacher salary and #105 of 121 by per-pupil spending. Eagle Butte School District 20-1 leads both cuts in this pool; pay rank is still not spending rank

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Eagle Butte School District 20-1 leads spending at $46,309 per pupil; Eagle Butte School District 20-1 leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Belle Fourche School District 09-1

  • It ranks in the bottom 10% nationally for estimated teacher pay, above only 10% of districts.
  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +19.0% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing South Dakota's statewide +10.1% by 9.0 points, a growth rate faster than 86% of the 146 South Dakota districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$48,147.437

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

South Dakota price level
88.1 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$54,621

+13% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in South Dakota run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how South Dakota compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Belle Fourche School District 09-1

What the Numbers Say About Belle Fourche School District 09-1

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 is a small school district in South Dakota, serving 1,329 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $12,635. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $48,147, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 4605610 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the South Dakota statewide average of $50,422, teacher pay in Belle Fourche School District 09-1 runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 4.5% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (31.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in South Dakota, it pays more than 27% of them. South Dakota itself ranks #46 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Belle Fourche School District 09-1 reports $16.8M in total expenditure against $18.1M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 35% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $3.9M, special-education teacher pay is $0.7M.

How does Belle Fourche School District 09-1 compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the South Dakota average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 $48,147
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 $54,143
South Dakota avg $50,422
National avg $70,245

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 pays -11.1% less than Sioux Falls School District 49-5 · per-pupil $12,635 vs $13,239

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable South Dakota districts

On pay, Belle Fourche School District 09-1 sits closest to Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Garretson School District 49-4. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1
  2. Hamlin School District 28-3
  3. White River School District 47-1
  4. Deubrook Area School District 05-6
  5. Custer School District 16-1
  6. Hanson School District 30-1
  7. Chamberlain School District 07-1
  8. Vermillion School District 13-1
  9. Freeman School District 33-1
  10. Webster Area 18-5
  11. Viborg-Hurley School District 60-6
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Garretson School District 49-4
  2. Viborg-Hurley School District 60-6
  3. Clark School District 12-2
  4. Lennox School District 41-4
  5. Brandon Valley School District 49-2
  6. Deubrook Area School District 05-6
  7. Mitchell School District 17-2
  8. Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7
  9. Canton School District 41-1
  10. Pierre School District 32-2
  11. Bon Homme School District 04-2

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts with similar lower pay

Two out-of-state peer sets for Belle Fourche School District 09-1: closest on enrollment (1,329 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($48,147 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$18.1M
Total Revenue
$16.8M
Total Expenditure
$5.9M
Instruction Salaries
35% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$3.9M
Regular Program
$0.7M
Special Education
$0.2M
Vocational
$0.2M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Belle Fourche School District 09-1: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 85% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 15% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

South Dakota Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized South Dakota districts belongs to Douglas School District 51-1 at $61,738. Placed 43 of 49, Belle Fourche School District 09-1 is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. North Dakota and Oklahoma are the states closest to South Dakota on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all South Dakota districts →

Other South Dakota Districts

The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this South Dakota sample (including Belle Fourche). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.

Deubrook Area School District 05-6
$47,530
423 students
Wessington Springs School District 36-2
$41,732
422 students
White River School District 47-1
$48,647
419 students
Dakota Valley School District 61-8
$56,996
1,387 students
West Central School District 49-7
$54,669
1,413 students
Vermillion School District 13-1
$49,365
1,436 students

This is a sample of 6 from 120 South Dakota districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Belle Fourche School District 09-1
What is the average teacher salary in Belle Fourche School District 09-1?

The average teacher salary in Belle Fourche School District 09-1 is $48,147 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Belle Fourche School District 09-1 teacher pay compare to the South Dakota average?

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 pays 4.5% less than the South Dakota state average of $50,422. The district's average is $48,147.

How does Belle Fourche School District 09-1 teacher pay compare to the national average?

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 pays 31.5% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $48,147.

What is the per-pupil spending in Belle Fourche School District 09-1?

Belle Fourche School District 09-1 spends approximately $12,635 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Belle Fourche School District 09-1's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 35% of Belle Fourche School District 09-1's total expenditure of $16.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Belle Fourche School District 09-1
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Belle Fourche School District 09-1's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.