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School district · Montana · LEAID 3021090

Polson H S

Polson H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (524 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Polson H S come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$63,226
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$15,094
Per-pupil spending
524
Students enrolled
70th
Pct. in MT
$63,226

Polson H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (524 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $63,226, below the national average of $70,245, serving 524 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Polson H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (524 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 70th percentile for Montana
  • 44th percentile nationally
  • 39% 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.
  • Polson H S ranks #42 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #63 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
  • +21.8% 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, Polson H S's instructional payroll puts 3.3% into vocational programs , 3.3 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 Polson H MT median Gap
Regular program 89.1% 90.0% -0.9 pp
Special education 7.6% 6.7% +0.9 pp
Vocational programs 3.3% 0.0% +3.3 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 3021090 · FY2023.

LEAID 3021090 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Polson H F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +7% vs state RANK-ST-MID P70 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P44 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-SMALL 524 students INSTR-MID 39% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Troy FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $63,226 estimated average teacher salary · P70 in Montana · P44 nationally · 39% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Browning ($325est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Polson H

Salary neighbourhood · Polson H

Polson H 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 Polson H

Polson H S's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$63,226 44th percentile higher than 44% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Polson H S $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

What stands out about Polson H S

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +21.8% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 9.3 points, a growth rate faster than 77% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 8.3% here, from 484 students in FY2019 to 524 in FY2023, against a national picture where far more districts shrank than grew over the same period. Growth of this kind typically arrives before the funding that follows it, so per-pupil figures often dip while a district absorbs it.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$63,225.977

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
$69,468

+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 Polson H S

What the Numbers Say About Polson H S

Polson H S is a small school district in Montana, serving 524 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $15,094. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $63,226, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3021090 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Polson H S runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 7.1% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (10.0% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 70% 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, Polson H S reports $7.9M in total expenditure against $8.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 39% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $2.1M, special-education teacher pay is $0.2M.

How does Polson H S compare?

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

Polson H S $63,226
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Polson H S pays -14.9% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $15,094 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, Polson H S sits closest to Troy Elem; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Centerville 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. Troy Elem
  2. Independent Elem
  3. Browning Elem
  4. Target Range Elem
  5. Ronan Elem
  6. Laurel H S
  7. Columbia Falls Elem
  8. Dillon Elem
  9. Jefferson H S
  10. Hardin Elem
  11. Boulder Elem
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Centerville Elem
  2. Cut Bank Elem
  3. Glendive Elem
  4. Whitefish H S
  5. Livingston Elem
  6. Clinton Elem
  7. Conrad Elem
  8. Shelby Elem
  9. Columbus H S
  10. Chinook Elem
  11. Ennis K-12 Schools

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Polson H S's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Polson H S: closest on enrollment (524 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($63,226 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

$8.0M
Total Revenue
$7.9M
Total Expenditure
$3.1M
Instruction Salaries
39% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$2.1M
Regular Program
$0.2M
Special Education
$0.1M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Polson H S: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 78% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 22% 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. Polson H S places 27 of 64 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. 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.

Lolo Elem
$53,377
507 students
Eureka Elem
$65,154
497 students
Cut Bank Elem
$56,837
551 students
Custer County H S
$53,808
495 students
Somers Elem
$52,956
555 students
Rocky Boy Elem
$75,498
486 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 Polson H S
What is the average teacher salary in Polson H S?

The average teacher salary in Polson H S is $63,226 (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 Polson H S teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Polson H S pays 7.1% more than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $63,226.

How does Polson H S teacher pay compare to the national average?

Polson H S pays 10.0% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $63,226.

What is the per-pupil spending in Polson H S?

Polson H S spends approximately $15,094 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Polson H S's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 39% of Polson H S's total expenditure of $7.9M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Polson H S
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. Polson H S'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.