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School district · Kansas · LEAID 2010500

Paola

Paola sits in the highest third of Kansas districts on estimated teacher pay at $109,117 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Paola come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$109,117
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$25,064
Per-pupil spending
1,776
Students enrolled
99th
Pct. in KS
$109,117

Paola sits in the highest third of Kansas districts on estimated teacher pay at $109,117 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $109,117, above the national average of $70,245, serving 1,776 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Paola sits in the highest third of Kansas districts on estimated teacher pay at $109,117 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 99th percentile for Kansas
  • 94th percentile nationally
  • 45% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Kansas ranks #37 of 49 on the salary estimate and #30 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Paola ranks #2 of 249 Kansas districts by estimated teacher salary and #14 of 249 by per-pupil spending. Rock Creek pay #1 at $111,971 is not Moundridge spending #1 at $44,656 per pupil

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Instructional payroll mix vs Kansas median

Among 286 Kansas districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Paola's instructional payroll puts 51.3% into special education , 51.3 points above the state median of 0.0%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Kansas peer.

Program Paola KS median Gap
Regular program 45.3% 92.6% -47.3 pp
Special education 51.3% 0.0% +51.3 pp
Vocational programs 3.3% 4.6% -1.4 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 286 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2010500 · FY2023.

LEAID 2010500 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Paola F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +86% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P99 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P94 national PPE-HIGH $25K/pupil ENR-SMALL 1,776 students INSTR-HIGH 45% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Rock FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $109,117 estimated average teacher salary · P99 in Kansas · P94 nationally · 45% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Arkansas ($30,839est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Paola

Salary neighbourhood · Paola

Paola 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 Paola

Paola's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$109,117 Top 6% higher than 94% 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%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Below this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Paola $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

Paola in Kansas's upper-third pay band

Same 249 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Paola ranks #2 of 249 Kansas districts by estimated teacher salary and #14 of 249 by per-pupil spending. Rock Creek pay #1 at $111,971 is not Moundridge spending #1 at $44,656 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Paola is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Moundridge leads spending at $44,656 per pupil; Rock Creek leads pay.

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

What stands out about Paola

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 94% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $25,064 is among the highest in the nation.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$109,116.769

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Kansas price level
89.9 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$121,365

+11% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Paola

What the Numbers Say About Paola

Paola is a small school district in Kansas, serving 1,776 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $25,064. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $109,117, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2010500 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Kansas statewide average of $58,516, teacher pay in Paola runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 86.5% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (55.3% differential). Among enrolling districts in Kansas, it pays more than 99% of them. Kansas itself ranks #37 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Paola reports $44.5M in total expenditure against $49.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 45% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $7.0M, special-education teacher pay is $7.9M.

How does Paola compare?

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

Paola $109,117
Wichita $48,876
Kansas avg $58,516
National avg $70,245

Paola pays +123.3% more than Wichita · per-pupil $25,064 vs $17,945

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 Kansas districts

On pay, Paola sits closest to Rock Creek; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Circle. 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. Rock Creek
  2. West Elk
  3. Humboldt
  4. Arkansas City
  5. Abilene
  6. Marion-Florence
  7. Hays
  8. Baxter Springs
  9. Piper-Kansas City
  10. Eureka
  11. Galena
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Circle
  2. South Brown County
  3. Lyons
  4. Winfield
  5. Burlington
  6. Wellsville
  7. Twin Valley
  8. Columbus
  9. Kismet-Plains
  10. Beloit
  11. Salina

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Paola's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Paola: closest on enrollment (1,776 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($109,117 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

$49.3M
Total Revenue
$44.5M
Total Expenditure
$20.2M
Instruction Salaries
45% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$7.0M
Regular Program
$7.9M
Special Education
$0.5M
Vocational
$0.0M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Paola: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 76% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 24% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Kansas Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Kansas districts belongs to Rock Creek at $111,971. Only second place separates it from the ceiling: among the 152 districts of comparable size, Paola is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. Kentucky and West Virginia are the states closest to Kansas 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 Kansas districts →

Other Kansas Districts

Smaller-district sample from 248 Kansas peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Wamego
$54,567
1,641 students
Tonganoxie
$46,875
1,925 students
Renwick
$49,125
1,946 students
Labette County
$64,486
1,557 students
Ulysses
$65,372
1,549 students
Augusta
$56,853
2,028 students

This is a sample of 6 from 248 Kansas districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Paola
What is the average teacher salary in Paola?

The average teacher salary in Paola is $109,117 (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 Paola teacher pay compare to the Kansas average?

Paola pays 86.5% more than the Kansas state average of $58,516. The district's average is $109,117.

How does Paola teacher pay compare to the national average?

Paola pays 55.3% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $109,117.

What is the per-pupil spending in Paola?

Paola spends approximately $25,064 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Paola's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 45% of Paola's total expenditure of $44.5M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Paola
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. Paola'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.