School district · Montana · LEAID 3005990

Cayuse Prairie Elem

Cayuse Prairie Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (304 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Cayuse Prairie Elem come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$46,300
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$12,161
Per-pupil spending
304
Students enrolled
9th
Pct. in MT
$46,300

Cayuse Prairie Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (304 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $46,300, below the national average of $70,245, serving 304 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Cayuse Prairie Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (304 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 9th percentile for Montana
  • 6th percentile nationally
  • 34% 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.
  • Cayuse Prairie Elem ranks #128 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #114 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
  • -0.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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LEAID 3005990 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Cayuse Prairie F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -22% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P9 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P6 national PPE-LOW $12K/pupil ENR-TINY 304 students INSTR-LOW 34% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Plentywood FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $46,300 estimated average teacher salary · P9 in Montana · P6 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Miles (+$3,180est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Cayuse Prairie

Salary neighbourhood · Cayuse Prairie

Cayuse Prairie 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 Cayuse Prairie

Cayuse Prairie Elem's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$46,300 6th percentile higher than 6% 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. Cayuse Prairie Elem $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

Cayuse Prairie 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 Cayuse Prairie Elem ranks #128 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #114 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

Cayuse Prairie Elem 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 Cayuse Prairie Elem

  • It ranks in the bottom 10% nationally for estimated teacher pay, above only 6% of districts.
  • Estimated teacher pay here moved -0.4% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 12.9 points, a growth rate faster than 29% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 21.1% here, from 251 students in FY2019 to 304 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 (304 students), where the enrollment-based salary estimate is more sensitive to staffing mix.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$46,299.903

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
$50,871

+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 Cayuse Prairie Elem

What the Numbers Say About Cayuse Prairie Elem

Cayuse Prairie Elem is a small school district in Montana, serving 304 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $12,161. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $46,300, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3005990 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Cayuse Prairie Elem runs materially below the state benchmark, a 21.6% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (34.1% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 9% 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, Cayuse Prairie Elem reports $3.7M in total expenditure against $3.7M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 34% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $0.9M, special-education teacher pay is $0.1M.

How does Cayuse Prairie Elem compare?

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

Cayuse Prairie Elem $46,300
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Cayuse Prairie Elem pays -37.7% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $12,161 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, Cayuse Prairie Elem sits closest to Plentywood K-12 Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Sidney 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.

Out-of-state districts near Cayuse Prairie Elem's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Cayuse Prairie Elem: closest on enrollment (304 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($46,300 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

$3.7M
Total Revenue
$3.7M
Total Expenditure
$1.2M
Instruction Salaries
34% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$0.9M
Regular Program
$0.1M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Cayuse Prairie Elem: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 76% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 24% 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, Cayuse Prairie Elem 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.

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 Cayuse Prairie Elem
What is the average teacher salary in Cayuse Prairie Elem?

The average teacher salary in Cayuse Prairie Elem is $46,300 (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 Cayuse Prairie Elem teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Cayuse Prairie Elem pays 21.6% less than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $46,300.

How does Cayuse Prairie Elem teacher pay compare to the national average?

Cayuse Prairie Elem pays 34.1% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $46,300.

What is the per-pupil spending in Cayuse Prairie Elem?

Cayuse Prairie Elem spends approximately $12,161 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Cayuse Prairie Elem's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 34% of Cayuse Prairie Elem's total expenditure of $3.7M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Cayuse Prairie Elem
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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