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School district · Montana · LEAID 3007140

Columbia Falls H S

Columbia Falls H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (687 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Columbia Falls H S come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$70,683
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$13,837
Per-pupil spending
687
Students enrolled
83rd
Pct. in MT
$70,683

Columbia Falls H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (687 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $70,683, near the national average of $70,245, serving 687 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Columbia Falls H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (687 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 83rd percentile for Montana
  • 60th 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.
  • Columbia Falls H S ranks #24 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #87 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
  • +10.2% 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, Columbia Falls H S's instructional payroll puts 10.6% into vocational programs , 10.6 points above the state median of 0.0%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Montana peer.

Program Columbia Falls MT median Gap
Regular program 81.2% 90.0% -8.8 pp
Special education 8.2% 6.7% +1.5 pp
Vocational programs 10.6% 0.0% +10.6 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 3007140 · FY2023.

LEAID 3007140 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Columbia Falls F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +20% vs state RANK-ST-MID P83 in state RANK-NAT-MID P60 national PPE-LOW $14K/pupil ENR-SMALL 687 students INSTR-LOW 34% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Lame FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $70,683 estimated average teacher salary · P83 in Montana · P60 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Billings (+$1,938est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Columbia Falls

Salary neighbourhood · Columbia Falls

Columbia Falls already leads 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 Columbia Falls

Columbia Falls H S's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$70,683 Top 40% higher than 60% 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%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Columbia Falls H S $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

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$70,682.64

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
$77,661

+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 Columbia Falls H S

What the Numbers Say About Columbia Falls H S

Columbia Falls H S is a small school district in Montana, serving 687 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $13,837. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $70,683, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3007140 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Columbia Falls H S runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 19.7% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (0.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 83% 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, Columbia Falls H S reports $9.5M in total expenditure against $9.7M 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 $2.5M, special-education teacher pay is $0.3M.

How does Columbia Falls H S compare?

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

Columbia Falls H S $70,683
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Columbia Falls H S pays -4.9% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $13,837 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, Columbia Falls H S sits closest to Lame Deer Elem; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Ronan 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. Lame Deer Elem
  2. Baker K-12 Schools
  3. Box Elder Elem
  4. Beaverhead County H S
  5. Harlem Elem
  6. Anaconda Elem
  7. Poplar Elem
  8. Columbus H S
  9. Arlee Elem
  10. Fergus H S
  11. Big Timber Elem
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Ronan Elem
  2. Libby K-12 Schools
  3. Ronan H S
  4. Florence-Carlton K-12 Schls
  5. Elysian Elem
  6. Plains K-12
  7. Laurel Elem
  8. Helena H S
  9. Whitehall Elem
  10. Park City Elem
  11. Anderson Elem

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Columbia Falls H S's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Columbia Falls H S: closest on enrollment (687 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($70,683 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

$9.7M
Total Revenue
$9.5M
Total Expenditure
$3.2M
Instruction Salaries
34% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$2.5M
Regular Program
$0.3M
Special Education
$0.3M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Columbia Falls H S: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 98% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 2% 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. Columbia Falls H S places 19 of 64 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.

Baker K-12 Schools
$70,356
451 students
Elysian Elem
$50,805
451 students
Big Sky School K-12
$48,752
432 students
Deer Lodge Elem
$57,613
426 students
Ennis K-12 Schools
$50,644
422 students
Miles City Elem
$49,480
953 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 Columbia Falls H S
What is the average teacher salary in Columbia Falls H S?

The average teacher salary in Columbia Falls H S is $70,683 (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 Columbia Falls H S teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Columbia Falls H S pays 19.7% more than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $70,683.

How does Columbia Falls H S teacher pay compare to the national average?

Columbia Falls H S pays 0.6% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $70,683.

What is the per-pupil spending in Columbia Falls H S?

Columbia Falls H S spends approximately $13,837 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Columbia Falls H S's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 34% of Columbia Falls H S's total expenditure of $9.5M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Columbia Falls H S
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. Columbia Falls H S'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.