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School district · Montana · LEAID 3000654

Big Sky School K-12

Big Sky School K-12 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (432 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Big Sky School K-12 come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$48,752
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$48,322
Per-pupil spending
432
Students enrolled
16th
Pct. in MT
$48,752

Big Sky School K-12 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (432 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $48,752, below the national average of $70,245, serving 432 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Big Sky School K-12 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (432 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 16th percentile for Montana
  • 11th percentile nationally
  • 10% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Montana ranks #36 of 49 on the salary estimate and #43 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Big Sky School K-12 ranks #118 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #2 of 140 by per-pupil spending. Helena H S pay #1 at $104,507 is not Lolo Elem spending #1 at $49,777 per pupil
  • -6.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Montana median

Among 317 Montana districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Big Sky School K-12's instructional payroll puts 92.2% into regular program , 2.2 points above the state median of 90.0%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Montana district.

Program Big Sky MT median Gap
Regular program 92.2% 90.0% +2.2 pp
Special education 7.8% 6.7% +1.1 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 317 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 3000654 · FY2023.

LEAID 3000654 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Big Sky F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -17% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P16 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P11 national PPE-HIGH $48K/pupil ENR-TINY 432 students INSTR-LOW 10% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Anaconda FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $48,752 estimated average teacher salary · P16 in Montana · P11 nationally · 10% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Miles (+$728est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Big Sky

Salary neighbourhood · Big Sky

Big Sky 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 Big Sky

Big Sky School K-12's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$48,752 11th percentile higher than 11% 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. Big Sky School K-12 $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

Big Sky in Montana's lower-third pay band

Same 140 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Big Sky School K-12 ranks #118 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #2 of 140 by per-pupil spending. Helena H S pay #1 at $104,507 is not Lolo Elem spending #1 at $49,777 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Big Sky School K-12 is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Lolo Elem leads spending at $49,777 per pupil; Helena H S leads pay.

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

What stands out about Big Sky School K-12

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved -6.4% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 18.9 points, a growth rate faster than 22% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 16.8% here, from 370 students in FY2019 to 432 in FY2023, against a national picture where far more districts shrank than grew over the same period. Growth of this kind typically arrives before the funding that follows it, so per-pupil figures often dip while a district absorbs it.
  • It is a very small district (432 students), where the enrollment-based salary estimate is more sensitive to staffing mix.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $48,322 is among the highest in the nation.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$48,751.88

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Montana price level
91.0 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$53,565

+10% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Montana 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 Montana 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 Big Sky School K-12

What the Numbers Say About Big Sky School K-12

Big Sky School K-12 is a small school district in Montana, serving 432 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $48,322. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $48,752, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3000654 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Big Sky School K-12 runs materially below the state benchmark, a 17.5% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (30.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 16% of them. Montana itself ranks #36 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Big Sky School K-12 reports $20.9M in total expenditure against $10.7M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 10% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $1.5M, special-education teacher pay is $0.1M.

How does Big Sky School K-12 compare?

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

Big Sky School K-12 $48,752
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Big Sky School K-12 pays -34.4% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $48,322 vs $12,841

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 Montana districts

On pay, Big Sky School K-12 sits closest to Anaconda H S; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Lolo Elem. 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. Anaconda H S
  2. Shepherd H S
  3. Fairfield Elem
  4. Cascade Elem
  5. Miles City Elem
  6. Browning H S
  7. Heart Butte K-12 Schools
  8. Choteau Elem
  9. Centerville Elem
  10. Clinton Elem
  11. Helena Flats Elem
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Lolo Elem
  2. Three Forks H S
  3. Heart Butte K-12 Schools
  4. Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls
  5. Lewistown Elem
  6. Poplar Elem
  7. Browning Elem
  8. Jefferson H S
  9. Arlee Elem
  10. Rocky Boy Elem
  11. Townsend K-12 Schools

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Big Sky School K-12's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Big Sky School K-12: closest on enrollment (432 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($48,752 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

$10.7M
Total Revenue
$20.9M
Total Expenditure
$2.2M
Instruction Salaries
10% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$1.5M
Regular Program
$0.1M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Big Sky School K-12: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 75% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 25% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Montana Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Montana districts belongs to Helena H S at $104,507. At the other end, Big Sky School K-12 anchors the bottom of the 65-district field, so the gap between it and the state's ceiling is close to the full spread the state average is drawn from. New Mexico and Missouri are the states closest to Montana 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 Montana districts →

Other Montana Districts

Smaller-district sample from 139 Montana peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Lolo Elem
$53,377
507 students
Fergus H S
$67,451
356 students
Bonner Elem
$56,393
356 students
Bigfork H S
$59,615
354 students
Wolf Point Elem
$59,729
511 students
Hardin H S
$54,827
512 students

This is a sample of 6 from 139 Montana districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Big Sky School K-12
What is the average teacher salary in Big Sky School K-12?

The average teacher salary in Big Sky School K-12 is $48,752 (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 Big Sky School K-12 teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Big Sky School K-12 pays 17.5% less than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $48,752.

How does Big Sky School K-12 teacher pay compare to the national average?

Big Sky School K-12 pays 30.6% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $48,752.

What is the per-pupil spending in Big Sky School K-12?

Big Sky School K-12 spends approximately $48,322 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Big Sky School K-12's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 10% of Big Sky School K-12's total expenditure of $20.9M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Big Sky School K-12
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. Big Sky School K-12'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.