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School district · Minnesota · LEAID 2713930

Heron Lake-okabena School District

Heron Lake-okabena School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Minnesota districts (294 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Heron Lake-okabena School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$73,458
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$18,286
Per-pupil spending
294
Students enrolled
73rd
Pct. in MN
$73,458

Heron Lake-okabena School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Minnesota districts (294 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $73,458, near the national average of $70,245, serving 294 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Heron Lake-okabena School District is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Minnesota districts (294 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 73rd percentile for Minnesota
  • 65th percentile nationally
  • 38% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Minnesota ranks #22 of 49 on the salary estimate and #21 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Heron Lake-okabena School District ranks #83 of 310 Minnesota districts by estimated teacher salary and #147 of 310 by per-pupil spending. Bloomington Public School District pay #1 at $101,366 is not Red Rock Central School District spending #1 at $46,321 per pupil
  • +18.2% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Minnesota median

Among 354 Minnesota districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Heron Lake-okabena School District's instructional payroll puts 8.3% into vocational programs , 4.9 points above the state median of 3.4%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Minnesota peer.

Program Heron Lake-okabena MN median Gap
Regular program 81.0% 79.6% +1.4 pp
Special education 10.8% 15.3% -4.5 pp
Vocational programs 8.3% 3.4% +4.9 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 354 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2713930 · FY2023.

LEAID 2713930 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Heron Lake-okabena F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +8% vs state RANK-ST-MID P73 in state RANK-NAT-MID P65 national PPE-MID $18K/pupil ENR-TINY 294 students INSTR-MID 38% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Bird FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $73,458 estimated average teacher salary · P73 in Minnesota · P65 nationally · 38% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Lakeville ($626est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Heron Lake-okabena

Salary neighbourhood · Heron Lake-okabena

Heron Lake-okabena 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 Heron Lake-okabena

Heron Lake-okabena School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$73,458 Top 35% higher than 65% 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. This district $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

Heron Lake-okabena in Minnesota's lower-third pay band

Same 310 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Heron Lake-okabena School District ranks #83 of 310 Minnesota districts by estimated teacher salary and #147 of 310 by per-pupil spending. Bloomington Public School District pay #1 at $101,366 is not Red Rock Central School District spending #1 at $46,321 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Heron Lake-okabena School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Red Rock Central School District leads spending at $46,321 per pupil; Bloomington Public School District leads pay.

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

What stands out about Heron Lake-okabena School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +18.2% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Minnesota's statewide +14.0% by 4.2 points, a growth rate faster than 70% of the 326 Minnesota districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • It is a very small district (294 students), where the enrollment-based salary estimate is more sensitive to staffing mix.

Minnesota sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$73,457.612

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Minnesota price level
98.3 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$74,726

+2% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Minnesota sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

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 Minnesota 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 Heron Lake-okabena School District

What the Numbers Say About Heron Lake-okabena School District

Heron Lake-okabena School District is a small school district in Minnesota, serving 294 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $18,286. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $73,458, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2713930 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Minnesota statewide average of $68,032, teacher pay in Heron Lake-okabena School District runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 8.0% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (4.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Minnesota, it pays more than 73% of them. Minnesota itself ranks #22 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Heron Lake-okabena School District reports $5.4M in total expenditure against $5.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 38% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $1.3M, special-education teacher pay is $0.2M.

How does Heron Lake-okabena School District compare?

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

Heron Lake-okabena School District $73,458
Anoka-Hennepin School District $83,820
Minnesota avg $68,032
National avg $70,245

Heron Lake-okabena School District pays -12.4% less than Anoka-Hennepin School District · per-pupil $18,286 vs $17,610

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 Minnesota districts

On pay, Heron Lake-okabena School District sits closest to Bird Island-olivia-lake Lillian; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Battle Lake Public School District. 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. Bird Island-olivia-lake Lillian
  2. International Falls School District
  3. Glenville-emmons School District
  4. Mahnomen Public School District
  5. Luverne Public School District
  6. Edgerton Public School District
  7. Sauk Centre Public School District
  8. St. Clair Public School District
  9. Medford Public School District
  10. Jackson County Central School Dist.
  11. Littlefork-big Falls School Dist.
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Battle Lake Public School District
  2. Redwood Area School District
  3. Crookston Public School District
  4. Bagley Public School District
  5. Cedar Mountain School District
  6. Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart
  7. Hills-beaver Creek School District
  8. Lyle Public School District
  9. Clearbrook-gonvick School District
  10. Windom Public School District
  11. Westbrook-walnut Grove Schools

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Heron Lake-okabena School District's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Heron Lake-okabena School District: closest on enrollment (294 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($73,458 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

$5.3M
Total Revenue
$5.4M
Total Expenditure
$2.0M
Instruction Salaries
38% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$1.3M
Regular Program
$0.2M
Special Education
$0.1M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Heron Lake-okabena School District: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 82% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 18% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Minnesota Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Minnesota districts belongs to Bloomington Public School District at $101,366. Heron Lake-okabena School District places 71 of 251 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. On BEA's price parity Minnesota sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Maine and Nevada are its nearest price peers.

View all Minnesota districts →

Other Minnesota Districts

Smaller-district sample from 315 Minnesota peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Truman Public School District
$81,076
246 students
Carlton Public School District
$48,344
342 students
Kittson Central School District
$58,392
242 students
Nicollet Public School District
$55,499
347 students
Laporte Public School District
$49,582
347 students
Wrenshall Public School District
$58,495
351 students

This is a sample of 6 from 315 Minnesota districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Heron Lake-okabena School District
What is the average teacher salary in Heron Lake-okabena School District?

The average teacher salary in Heron Lake-okabena School District is $73,458 (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 Heron Lake-okabena School District teacher pay compare to the Minnesota average?

Heron Lake-okabena School District pays 8.0% more than the Minnesota state average of $68,032. The district's average is $73,458.

How does Heron Lake-okabena School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Heron Lake-okabena School District pays 4.6% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $73,458.

What is the per-pupil spending in Heron Lake-okabena School District?

Heron Lake-okabena School District spends approximately $18,286 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Heron Lake-okabena School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 38% of Heron Lake-okabena School District's total expenditure of $5.4M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Heron Lake-okabena School District
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. Heron Lake-okabena School District'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.