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School district · Arkansas · LEAID 0509000

Little Rock School District

Little Rock School District spends $20,874 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Arkansas districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Little Rock School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$71,641
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$20,874
Per-pupil spending
21,456
Students enrolled
99th
Pct. in AR
$71,641

Little Rock School District spends $20,874 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Arkansas districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $71,641, near the national average of $70,245, serving 21,456 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • High per-pupil spending: Little Rock School District spends $20,874 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Arkansas districts with a reliable figure.
  • 99th percentile for Arkansas
  • 62nd percentile nationally
  • 26% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Arkansas ranks #49 of 49 on the salary estimate and #32 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Little Rock School District ranks #2 of 199 Arkansas districts by estimated teacher salary and #7 of 199 by per-pupil spending. Fayetteville School District pay #1 at $73,997 is not Warren School District spending #1 at $31,095 per pupil
  • +11.6% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Arkansas median

Among 234 Arkansas districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Little Rock School District's instructional payroll puts 15.1% into special education , 5.0 points above the state median of 10.1%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Arkansas peer.

Program Little Rock AR median Gap
Regular program 69.7% 73.6% -3.9 pp
Special education 15.1% 10.1% +5.0 pp
Vocational programs 3.4% 5.7% -2.3 pp
Other programs 11.8% 9.9% +1.9 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 234 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0509000 · FY2023.

LEAID 0509000 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Little Rock F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +66% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P99 in state RANK-NAT-MID P62 national PPE-MID $21K/pupil ENR-LARGE 21.5K students INSTR-LOW 26% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Fayetteville FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $71,641 estimated average teacher salary · P99 in Arkansas · P62 nationally · 26% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Fayetteville (+$2,356est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Little Rock

Salary neighbourhood · Little Rock

Little Rock 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 Little Rock

Little Rock School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$71,641 Top 38% higher than 62% 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. Little Rock 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

Little Rock in Arkansas's upper-third pay band

Same 199 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Little Rock School District ranks #2 of 199 Arkansas districts by estimated teacher salary and #7 of 199 by per-pupil spending. Fayetteville School District pay #1 at $73,997 is not Warren School District spending #1 at $31,095 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Little Rock School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Warren School District leads spending at $31,095 per pupil; Fayetteville School District leads pay.

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

What stands out about Little Rock School District

  • Enrolment fell from 23,368 to 21,456 students (8.2% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$71,641.267

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Arkansas price level
86.8 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$82,527

+15% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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 Little Rock School District

What the Numbers Say About Little Rock School District

Little Rock School District is a mid-sized school district in Arkansas, serving 21,456 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $20,874. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $71,641, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0509000 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Arkansas statewide average of $43,221, teacher pay in Little Rock School District runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 65.8% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (2.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Arkansas, it pays more than 99% of them. Arkansas itself ranks #49 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Little Rock School District reports $447.9M in total expenditure against $379.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 26% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $71.2M, special-education teacher pay is $15.4M.

How does Little Rock School District compare?

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

Little Rock School District $71,641
Springdale School District $60,869
Arkansas avg $43,221
National avg $70,245

Little Rock School District pays +17.7% more than Springdale School District · per-pupil $20,874 vs $15,771

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 Arkansas districts

Fayetteville School District is Little Rock School District's nearest match on both pay and per-pupil investment, which is uncommon: the two signals point at different districts for roughly 98% of districts. 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. Fayetteville School District
  2. Conway School District
  3. Bentonville School District
  4. Springdale School District
  5. Russellville School District
  6. Cabot School District
  7. Rogers School District
  8. Bryant School District
  9. N. Little Rock School District
  10. Jonesboro School District
  11. Fort Smith School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Fayetteville School District
  2. Jonesboro School District
  3. Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist.
  4. Springdale School District
  5. Van Buren School District
  6. Bentonville School District
  7. Russellville School District
  8. N. Little Rock School District
  9. Benton School District
  10. Fort Smith School District
  11. Rogers School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Little Rock School District's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Little Rock School District: closest on enrollment (21,456 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($71,641 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

$379.0M
Total Revenue
$447.9M
Total Expenditure
$118.3M
Instruction Salaries
26% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$71.2M
Regular Program
$15.4M
Special Education
$3.4M
Vocational
$12.0M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Little Rock School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Arkansas Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Arkansas districts belongs to Fayetteville School District at $73,997. Only second place separates it from the ceiling: among the 201 districts of comparable size, Little Rock School District is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. Mississippi and South Dakota are the states closest to Arkansas 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 Arkansas districts →

Other Arkansas Districts

Large-district sample from 198 Arkansas peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Greenbrier School District
$53,481
3,862 students
Hot Springs School District
$57,455
3,690 students
Greene Co. Tech School Dist.
$48,777
3,652 students
Nettleton School District
$47,641
3,633 students
Batesville School District
$44,413
3,469 students
Lakeside School District
$51,971
3,466 students

This is a sample of 6 from 198 Arkansas districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Little Rock School District
What is the average teacher salary in Little Rock School District?

The average teacher salary in Little Rock School District is $71,641 (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 Little Rock School District teacher pay compare to the Arkansas average?

Little Rock School District pays 65.8% more than the Arkansas state average of $43,221. The district's average is $71,641.

How does Little Rock School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Little Rock School District pays 2.0% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $71,641.

What is the per-pupil spending in Little Rock School District?

Little Rock School District spends approximately $20,874 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Little Rock School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 26% of Little Rock School District's total expenditure of $447.9M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Little Rock 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. Little Rock 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.