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School district · Montana · LEAID 3020850

Plains K-12

Plains K-12 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (453 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Plains K-12 come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$50,813
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$13,704
Per-pupil spending
453
Students enrolled
26th
Pct. in MT
$50,813

Plains K-12 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (453 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $50,813, below the national average of $70,245, serving 453 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Plains K-12 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (453 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 26th percentile for Montana
  • 16th percentile nationally
  • 33% 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.
  • Plains K-12 ranks #103 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #92 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
  • +2.7% 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, Plains K-12's instructional payroll puts 7.2% into vocational programs , 7.2 points above the state median of 0.0%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Montana peer.

Program Plains K-12 MT median Gap
Regular program 86.1% 90.0% -3.9 pp
Special education 6.7% 6.7% -0.0 pp
Vocational programs 7.2% 0.0% +7.2 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 3020850 · FY2023.

LEAID 3020850 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Plains K-12 F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -14% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P26 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P16 national PPE-LOW $14K/pupil ENR-TINY 453 students INSTR-LOW 33% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Elysian FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $50,813 estimated average teacher salary · P26 in Montana · P16 nationally · 33% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Frenchtown (+$302est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Plains K-12

Salary neighbourhood · Plains K-12

Plains K-12 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 Plains K-12

Plains K-12's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$50,813 16th percentile higher than 16% 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. Plains K-12 $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

Plains K-12 in Montana's lower-third pay band

Same 140 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Plains K-12 ranks #103 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #92 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

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Plains K-12 is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Lolo Elem leads spending at $49,777 per pupil; Helena H S leads pay.

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

What stands out about Plains K-12

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +2.7% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 9.8 points, a growth rate faster than 35% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • It is a very small district (453 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
$50,812.879

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
$55,830

+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 Plains K-12

What the Numbers Say About Plains K-12

Plains K-12 is a small school district in Montana, serving 453 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $13,704. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $50,813, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3020850 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Plains K-12 runs materially below the state benchmark, a 14.0% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (27.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 26% 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, Plains K-12 reports $6.2M in total expenditure against $6.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 33% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $1.4M, special-education teacher pay is $0.1M.

How does Plains K-12 compare?

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

Plains K-12 $50,813
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Plains K-12 pays -31.6% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $13,704 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, Plains K-12 sits closest to Elysian Elem; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Whitehall 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. Elysian Elem
  2. Darby K-12 Schools
  3. Ennis K-12 Schools
  4. Shepherd Elem
  5. Frenchtown K-12 Schools
  6. Elder Grove Elem
  7. Glasgow K-12 Schools
  8. Shelby Elem
  9. Malta K-12 Schools
  10. Smith Valley Elem
  11. Manhattan High School
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Whitehall Elem
  2. Florence-Carlton K-12 Schls
  3. Ronan H S
  4. Columbia Falls H S
  5. Ronan Elem
  6. Libby K-12 Schools
  7. Elysian Elem
  8. Laurel Elem
  9. Whitefish Elem
  10. Park City Elem
  11. Anderson Elem

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Plains K-12's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Plains K-12: closest on enrollment (453 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($50,813 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

$6.3M
Total Revenue
$6.2M
Total Expenditure
$2.0M
Instruction Salaries
33% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$1.4M
Regular Program
$0.1M
Special Education
$0.1M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Plains K-12: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 79% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 21% 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. Placed 59 of 65, Plains K-12 is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. 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.

Fergus H S
$67,451
356 students
Bonner Elem
$56,393
356 students
Cut Bank Elem
$56,837
551 students
Bigfork H S
$59,615
354 students
Somers Elem
$52,956
555 students
Stevensville H S
$62,013
349 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 Plains K-12
What is the average teacher salary in Plains K-12?

The average teacher salary in Plains K-12 is $50,813 (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 Plains K-12 teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Plains K-12 pays 14.0% less than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $50,813.

How does Plains K-12 teacher pay compare to the national average?

Plains K-12 pays 27.7% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $50,813.

What is the per-pupil spending in Plains K-12?

Plains K-12 spends approximately $13,704 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Plains K-12's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 33% of Plains K-12's total expenditure of $6.2M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Plains K-12
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. Plains K-12'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.