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School district · Montana · LEAID 3014820

Independent Elem

Independent Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (297 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Independent Elem come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$63,448
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$11,034
Per-pupil spending
297
Students enrolled
71st
Pct. in MT
$63,448

Independent Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (297 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $63,448, below the national average of $70,245, serving 297 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Independent Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (297 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 71st percentile for Montana
  • 45th percentile nationally
  • 37% 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.
  • Independent Elem ranks #40 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #132 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
  • +26.5% 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, Independent Elem's instructional payroll puts 9.8% into special education , 3.0 points above the state median of 6.7%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Montana peer.

Program Independent Elem MT median Gap
Regular program 90.2% 90.0% +0.2 pp
Special education 9.8% 6.7% +3.0 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 3014820 · FY2023.

LEAID 3014820 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Independent Elem F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +7% vs state RANK-ST-MID P71 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P45 national PPE-LOW $11K/pupil ENR-TINY 297 students INSTR-MID 37% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Troy FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $63,448 estimated average teacher salary · P71 in Montana · P45 nationally · 37% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Ronan (+$296est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Independent Elem

Salary neighbourhood · Independent Elem

Independent Elem 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 Independent Elem

Independent Elem's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$63,448 45th percentile higher than 45% 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. Independent 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 Independent Elem

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +26.5% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 14.0 points, a growth rate faster than 84% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • It is a very small district (297 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
$63,448.276

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
$69,713

+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 Independent Elem

What the Numbers Say About Independent Elem

Independent Elem is a small school district in Montana, serving 297 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $11,034. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $63,448, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3014820 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Independent Elem runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 7.4% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (9.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 71% 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, Independent Elem reports $3.3M in total expenditure against $3.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 37% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $1.1M, special-education teacher pay is $0.1M.

How does Independent Elem compare?

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

Independent Elem $63,448
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Independent Elem pays -14.6% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $11,034 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, Independent Elem sits closest to Troy Elem; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Lone Rock 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. Troy Elem
  2. Polson H S
  3. Ronan Elem
  4. Laurel H S
  5. Target Range Elem
  6. Boulder Elem
  7. Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls
  8. Dillon Elem
  9. Glendive Elem
  10. Jefferson H S
  11. Stevensville H S
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Lone Rock Elem
  2. Lincoln County H S
  3. Target Range Elem
  4. Montana City Elem
  5. Fort Benton Elem
  6. Smith Valley Elem
  7. Big Timber Elem
  8. Elder Grove Elem
  9. Monforton Elem
  10. Bigfork Elem
  11. West Valley Elem

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

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

Two out-of-state peer sets for Independent Elem: closest on enrollment (297 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($63,448 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

$3.4M
Total Revenue
$3.3M
Total Expenditure
$1.2M
Instruction Salaries
37% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$1.1M
Regular Program
$0.1M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Independent Elem: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 100% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 0% 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. Independent Elem places 27 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.

Bonner Elem
$56,393
356 students
Centerville Elem
$47,678
237 students
Victor K-12 Schools
$41,102
236 students
Canyon Creek Elem
$41,699
234 students
Colstrip Elem
$61,402
366 students
Chinook Elem
$51,606
228 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 Independent Elem
What is the average teacher salary in Independent Elem?

The average teacher salary in Independent Elem is $63,448 (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 Independent Elem teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Independent Elem pays 7.4% more than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $63,448.

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

Independent Elem pays 9.7% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $63,448.

What is the per-pupil spending in Independent Elem?

Independent Elem spends approximately $11,034 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 37% of Independent Elem's total expenditure of $3.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Independent 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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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. Independent 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.