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School district · Kentucky · LEAID 2102040

Fort Thomas Independent

Fort Thomas Independent is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (3,127 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Fort Thomas Independent come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$66,660
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$15,073
Per-pupil spending
3,127
Students enrolled
96th
Pct. in KY
$66,660

Fort Thomas Independent is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (3,127 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $66,660, below the national average of $70,245, serving 3,127 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Fort Thomas Independent is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (3,127 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 96th percentile for Kentucky
  • 52nd percentile nationally
  • 30% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Kentucky ranks #40 of 49 on the salary estimate and #24 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Fort Thomas Independent ranks #6 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #130 of 171 by per-pupil spending. Jefferson County pay #1 at $73,395 is not Newport Independent spending #1 at $28,225 per pupil
  • +5.2% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Kentucky median

Among 171 Kentucky districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Fort Thomas Independent's instructional payroll puts 89.6% into regular program , 9.8 points above the state median of 79.8%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Kentucky district.

Program Fort Thomas KY median Gap
Regular program 89.6% 79.8% +9.8 pp
Special education 9.4% 16.6% -7.2 pp
Other programs 1.0% 1.5% -0.5 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 171 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2102040 · FY2023.

LEAID 2102040 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Fort Thomas F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +18% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P96 in state RANK-NAT-MID P52 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-MID 3,127 students INSTR-LOW 30% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Laurel FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $66,660 estimated average teacher salary · P96 in Kentucky · P52 nationally · 30% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Bullitt (+$213est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Fort Thomas

Salary neighbourhood · Fort Thomas

Fort Thomas 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 Fort Thomas

Fort Thomas Independent's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$66,660 Top 48% higher than 52% 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. Fort Thomas Independent $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

Fort Thomas in Kentucky's upper-third pay band

Same 171 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Fort Thomas Independent ranks #6 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #130 of 171 by per-pupil spending. Jefferson County pay #1 at $73,395 is not Newport Independent spending #1 at $28,225 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Fort Thomas Independent is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Newport Independent leads spending at $28,225 per pupil; Jefferson County leads pay.

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

What stands out about Fort Thomas Independent

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +5.2% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Kentucky's statewide +13.0% by 7.8 points, a growth rate faster than 14% of the 160 Kentucky districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$66,659.517

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Kentucky price level
89.9 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$74,157

+11% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Fort Thomas Independent

What the Numbers Say About Fort Thomas Independent

Fort Thomas Independent is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Kentucky, serving 3,127 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $15,073. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $66,660, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2102040 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Kentucky statewide average of $56,482, teacher pay in Fort Thomas Independent runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 18.0% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (5.1% differential). Among enrolling districts in Kentucky, it pays more than 96% of them. Kentucky itself ranks #40 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Fort Thomas Independent reports $47.1M in total expenditure against $51.1M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 30% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $11.1M, special-education teacher pay is $1.2M.

How does Fort Thomas Independent compare?

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

Fort Thomas Independent $66,660
Jefferson County $73,395
Kentucky avg $56,482
National avg $70,245

Fort Thomas Independent pays -9.2% less than Jefferson County · per-pupil $15,073 vs $20,696

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 Kentucky districts

On pay, Fort Thomas Independent sits closest to Laurel County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Whitley County. 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. Laurel County
  2. Berea Independent
  3. Marion County
  4. Daviess County
  5. Bardstown Independent
  6. McCracken County
  7. Danville Independent
  8. Wolfe County
  9. Nelson County
  10. Boyle County
  11. Pikeville Independent
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Whitley County
  2. Bourbon County
  3. Graves County
  4. Frankfort Independent
  5. Bath County
  6. Somerset Independent
  7. Harlan Independent
  8. Hopkins County
  9. Williamsburg Independent
  10. Washington County
  11. Wayne County

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Fort Thomas Independent's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Fort Thomas Independent: closest on enrollment (3,127 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($66,660 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

$51.1M
Total Revenue
$47.1M
Total Expenditure
$14.3M
Instruction Salaries
30% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$11.1M
Regular Program
$1.2M
Special Education
$0.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Fort Thomas Independent: the regular program, special education and other programs. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs. Together they are 87% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 13% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Kentucky Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Kentucky districts belongs to Jefferson County at $73,395. Fort Thomas Independent sits in the upper quarter of that field at 5 of 161, nearer the ceiling than the floor. Kansas and West Virginia are the states closest to Kentucky 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 Kentucky districts →

Other Kentucky Districts

Smaller-district sample from 170 Kentucky peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Mason County
$58,329
2,608 students
Garrard County
$55,734
2,606 students
Letcher County
$54,655
2,596 students
Covington Independent
$55,247
3,665 students
Anderson County
$59,885
3,752 students
Glasgow Independent
$60,788
2,490 students

This is a sample of 6 from 170 Kentucky districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Thomas Independent
What is the average teacher salary in Fort Thomas Independent?

The average teacher salary in Fort Thomas Independent is $66,660 (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 Fort Thomas Independent teacher pay compare to the Kentucky average?

Fort Thomas Independent pays 18.0% more than the Kentucky state average of $56,482. The district's average is $66,660.

How does Fort Thomas Independent teacher pay compare to the national average?

Fort Thomas Independent pays 5.1% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $66,660.

What is the per-pupil spending in Fort Thomas Independent?

Fort Thomas Independent spends approximately $15,073 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Fort Thomas Independent's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 30% of Fort Thomas Independent's total expenditure of $47.1M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Fort Thomas Independent
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. Fort Thomas Independent'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.