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School district · Kentucky · LEAID 2103270

Lee County

Lee County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (907 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Lee County come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$52,661
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$17,261
Per-pupil spending
907
Students enrolled
23rd
Pct. in KY
$52,661

Lee County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (907 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $52,661, below the national average of $70,245, serving 907 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Lee County is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Kentucky districts (907 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 23rd percentile for Kentucky
  • 21st percentile nationally
  • 23% 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.
  • Lee County ranks #132 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #60 of 171 by per-pupil spending. Jefferson County pay #1 at $73,395 is not Newport Independent spending #1 at $28,225 per pupil
  • +10.9% 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, Lee County's instructional payroll puts 3.7% into vocational programs , 3.5 points above the state median of 0.2%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Kentucky peer.

Program Lee County KY median Gap
Regular program 81.3% 79.8% +1.5 pp
Special education 13.1% 16.6% -3.5 pp
Vocational programs 3.7% 0.2% +3.5 pp
Other programs 1.9% 1.5% +0.3 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 2103270 · FY2023.

LEAID 2103270 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Lee County F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -7% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P23 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P21 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-SMALL 907 students INSTR-LOW 23% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Harlan FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $52,661 estimated average teacher salary · P23 in Kentucky · P21 nationally · 23% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Knox ($7est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Lee County

Salary neighbourhood · Lee County

Lee County 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 Lee County

Lee County's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$52,661 21st percentile higher than 21% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $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. Lee County $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

Lee County in Kentucky's lower-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 Lee County ranks #132 of 171 Kentucky districts by estimated teacher salary and #60 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

Lee County 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

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$52,660.714

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
$58,584

+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 Lee County

What the Numbers Say About Lee County

Lee County is a small school district in Kentucky, serving 907 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $17,261. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $52,661, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2103270 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Kentucky statewide average of $56,482, teacher pay in Lee County runs materially below the state benchmark, a 6.8% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (25.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Kentucky, it pays more than 23% 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, Lee County reports $15.7M in total expenditure against $15.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 23% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $2.4M, special-education teacher pay is $0.4M.

How does Lee County compare?

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

Lee County $52,661
Jefferson County $73,395
Kentucky avg $56,482
National avg $70,245

Lee County pays -28.3% less than Jefferson County · per-pupil $17,261 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, Lee County sits closest to Harlan County; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Cloverport Independent. 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. Harlan County
  2. Magoffin County
  3. Breathitt County
  4. Casey County
  5. Nicholas County
  6. Hickman County
  7. Bracken County
  8. Russell County
  9. Powell County
  10. Greenup County
  11. Harlan Independent
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Cloverport Independent
  2. Danville Independent
  3. Mercer County
  4. Paintsville Independent
  5. Caldwell County
  6. Bell County
  7. Rowan County
  8. Ballard County
  9. Jackson County
  10. Fairview Independent
  11. Elliott County

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Lee County's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Lee County: closest on enrollment (907 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($52,661 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

$15.9M
Total Revenue
$15.7M
Total Expenditure
$3.6M
Instruction Salaries
23% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$2.4M
Regular Program
$0.4M
Special Education
$0.1M
Vocational
$0.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Lee County: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 81% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 19% 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. Placed 126 of 161, Lee County is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. 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.

Campbellsville Independent
$56,984
1,286 students
East Bernstadt Independent
$55,257
523 students
Burgin Independent
$59,289
495 students
Robertson County
$64,087
479 students
Science Hill Independent
$59,793
476 students
Jenkins Independent
$67,185
475 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 Lee County
What is the average teacher salary in Lee County?

The average teacher salary in Lee County is $52,661 (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 Lee County teacher pay compare to the Kentucky average?

Lee County pays 6.8% less than the Kentucky state average of $56,482. The district's average is $52,661.

How does Lee County teacher pay compare to the national average?

Lee County pays 25.0% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $52,661.

What is the per-pupil spending in Lee County?

Lee County spends approximately $17,261 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Lee County's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 23% of Lee County's total expenditure of $15.7M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Lee County
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. Lee County'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.