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School district · Delaware · LEAID 1000790

Lake Forest School District

Lake Forest School District spends $16,935 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable Delaware districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Lake Forest School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$81,482
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$16,935
Per-pupil spending
3,611
Students enrolled
16th
Pct. in DE
$81,482

Lake Forest School District spends $16,935 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable Delaware districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $81,482, above the national average of $70,245, serving 3,611 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower per-pupil spending: Lake Forest School District spends $16,935 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable Delaware districts with a reliable figure.
  • 16th percentile for Delaware
  • 76th percentile nationally
  • 32% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Delaware ranks #3 of 49 on the salary estimate and #44 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Lake Forest School District ranks #16 of 19 Delaware districts by estimated teacher salary and #17 of 19 by per-pupil spending. Christina School District leads both cuts in this pool; pay rank is still not spending rank
  • +30.0% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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How the salary estimate is built

FY2023 teacher salary expenditure

$19,678,000 ÷ 241.50 reported teacher FTE = $81,482

  • Regular program $11,708,000 · 59.5%
  • Special education $7,359,000 · 37.4%
  • Vocational programs $611,000 · 3.1%

These NCES F-33 program totals make up the numerator of the district-level average; they do not describe an individual teacher's pay or contract.

LEAID 1000790 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Lake Forest F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -11% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P16 in state RANK-NAT-MID P76 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-MID 3,611 students INSTR-LOW 32% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Laurel FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $81,482 estimated average teacher salary · P16 in Delaware · P76 nationally · 32% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Laurel ($2,154est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Lake Forest

Salary neighbourhood · Lake Forest

Lake Forest trails 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 Lake Forest

Lake Forest School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$81,482 Top 24% higher than 76% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Lake Forest School 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

Lake Forest in Delaware's lower-third pay band

Same 19 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Lake Forest School District ranks #16 of 19 Delaware districts by estimated teacher salary and #17 of 19 by per-pupil spending. Christina School District leads both cuts in this pool; pay rank is still not spending rank

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Lake Forest School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Christina School District leads spending at $37,779 per pupil; Christina School District leads pay.

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

Delaware sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$81,482.402

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Delaware price level
98.8 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$82,506

+1% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Lake Forest School District

What the Numbers Say About Lake Forest School District

Lake Forest School District is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Delaware, serving 3,611 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,935. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $81,482, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 1000790 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Delaware statewide average of $92,029, teacher pay in Lake Forest School District runs materially below the state benchmark, a 11.5% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (16.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Delaware, it pays more than 16% of them. Delaware itself ranks #3 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Lake Forest School District reports $61.2M in total expenditure against $63.5M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 32% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $11.7M, special-education teacher pay is $7.4M.

How does Lake Forest School District compare?

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

Lake Forest School District $81,482
Red Clay Consolidated School District $87,385
Delaware avg $92,029
National avg $70,245

Lake Forest School District pays -6.8% less than Red Clay Consolidated School District · per-pupil $16,935 vs $24,497

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 Delaware districts

On pay, Lake Forest School District sits closest to Laurel School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Milford 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. Laurel School District
  2. Milford School District
  3. Cape Henlopen School District
  4. Seaford School District
  5. Caesar Rodney School District
  6. Woodbridge School District
  7. Delmar School District
  8. POLYTECH School District
  9. Smyrna School District
  10. Brandywine School District
  11. Indian River School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Milford School District
  2. Smyrna School District
  3. Laurel School District
  4. Seaford School District
  5. Caesar Rodney School District
  6. Delmar School District
  7. Appoquinimink School District
  8. Woodbridge School District
  9. Brandywine School District
  10. Indian River School District
  11. New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts with similar lower pay

Two out-of-state peer sets for Lake Forest School District: closest on enrollment (3,611 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($81,482 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

$63.5M
Total Revenue
$61.2M
Total Expenditure
$19.7M
Instruction Salaries
32% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$11.7M
Regular Program
$7.4M
Special Education
$0.6M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Lake Forest School District: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for 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.

Delaware Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Delaware districts belongs to Christina School District at $117,104. Placed 16 of 19, Lake Forest School District is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. On BEA's price parity Delaware sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Illinois and Minnesota are its nearest price peers.

View all Delaware districts →

Other Delaware Districts

The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this Delaware sample (including Lake Forest). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.

Caesar Rodney School District
$87,010
8,286 students
Colonial School District
$102,551
9,132 students
Brandywine School District
$67,847
10,367 students
Indian River School District
$98,130
10,799 students
Appoquinimink School District
$99,624
12,804 students
Christina School District
$117,104
13,092 students

This is a sample of 6 from 18 Delaware districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Forest School District
What is the average teacher salary in Lake Forest School District?

The average teacher salary in Lake Forest School District is $81,482 (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 Lake Forest School District teacher pay compare to the Delaware average?

Lake Forest School District pays 11.5% less than the Delaware state average of $92,029. The district's average is $81,482.

How does Lake Forest School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Lake Forest School District pays 16.0% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $81,482.

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

Lake Forest School District spends approximately $16,935 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Lake Forest School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 32% of Lake Forest School District's total expenditure of $61.2M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Lake Forest 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. Lake Forest 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.