PlainTeacher

School district · Montana · LEAID 3007050

Colstrip Elem

Colstrip Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (366 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Colstrip Elem come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$61,402
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$19,995
Per-pupil spending
366
Students enrolled
63rd
Pct. in MT
$61,402

Colstrip Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (366 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $61,402, below the national average of $70,245, serving 366 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Colstrip Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (366 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 63rd percentile for Montana
  • 40th 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.
  • Colstrip Elem ranks #52 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #25 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
  • +5.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

Keep this district in your shortlist

Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.

View saved

Instructional payroll mix vs Montana median

Among 317 Montana districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Colstrip Elem's instructional payroll puts 94.5% into regular program , 4.5 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 Colstrip Elem MT median Gap
Regular program 94.5% 90.0% +4.5 pp
Special education 5.5% 6.7% -1.2 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 3007050 · FY2023.

LEAID 3007050 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Colstrip Elem F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +4% vs state RANK-ST-MID P63 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P40 national PPE-MID $20K/pupil ENR-TINY 366 students INSTR-LOW 34% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Lodge FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $61,402 estimated average teacher salary · P63 in Montana · P40 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Laurel (+$452est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Colstrip Elem

Salary neighbourhood · Colstrip Elem

Colstrip Elem sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (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 Colstrip Elem

Colstrip Elem's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$61,402 40th percentile higher than 40% 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%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Colstrip 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

What stands out about Colstrip Elem

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +5.4% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 7.1 points, a growth rate faster than 40% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • It is a very small district (366 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
$61,401.869

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
$67,464

+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 Colstrip Elem

What the Numbers Say About Colstrip Elem

Colstrip Elem is a small school district in Montana, serving 366 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $19,995. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $61,402, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3007050 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Colstrip Elem runs roughly in line with the state benchmark, a 4.0% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (12.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 63% 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, Colstrip Elem reports $7.3M in total expenditure against $7.4M 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 $1.9M, special-education teacher pay is $0.1M.

How does Colstrip Elem compare?

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

Colstrip Elem $61,402
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Colstrip Elem pays -17.4% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $19,995 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, Colstrip Elem sits closest to Lodge Grass Elem; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Victor K-12 Schools. 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. Lodge Grass Elem
  2. Havre H S
  3. Laurel Elem
  4. Libby K-12 Schools
  5. Stevensville H S
  6. Anderson Elem
  7. Hardin Elem
  8. Jefferson H S
  9. Dillon Elem
  10. Target Range Elem
  11. Browning Elem
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Victor K-12 Schools
  2. Evergreen Elem
  3. Browning H S
  4. Harlowton K-12
  5. St Ignatius K-12 Schools
  6. Troy Elem
  7. Beaverhead County H S
  8. Twin Bridges K-12 Schools
  9. Three Forks Elem
  10. Baker K-12 Schools
  11. Stevensville H S

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Colstrip Elem's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Colstrip Elem: closest on enrollment (366 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($61,402 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

$7.4M
Total Revenue
$7.3M
Total Expenditure
$2.5M
Instruction Salaries
34% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$1.9M
Regular Program
$0.1M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Colstrip Elem: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 80% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 20% 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. Colstrip Elem places 35 of 65 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. 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.

Choteau Elem
$47,719
255 students
Lone Rock Elem
$40,907
254 students
Plentywood K-12 Schools
$46,873
371 students
Fergus H S
$67,451
356 students
Bonner Elem
$56,393
356 students
Bigfork H S
$59,615
354 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 Colstrip Elem
What is the average teacher salary in Colstrip Elem?

The average teacher salary in Colstrip Elem is $61,402 (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 Colstrip Elem teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Colstrip Elem pays 4.0% more than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $61,402.

How does Colstrip Elem teacher pay compare to the national average?

Colstrip Elem pays 12.6% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $61,402.

What is the per-pupil spending in Colstrip Elem?

Colstrip Elem spends approximately $19,995 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 34% of Colstrip Elem's total expenditure of $7.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Colstrip 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

Cite, share, embed & editorial notes

Share this district data

Download a sourced data card or share the canonical district profile.

X Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email
Embed this widget

Copy this snippet to embed a live-linked card on your own site.

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. Colstrip Elem'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.