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School district · Montana · LEAID 3021240

Poplar Elem

Poplar Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (596 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Poplar Elem come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$73,007
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$24,676
Per-pupil spending
596
Students enrolled
86th
Pct. in MT
$73,007

Poplar Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (596 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $73,007, near the national average of $70,245, serving 596 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Poplar Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (596 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 86th percentile for Montana
  • 64th percentile nationally
  • 38% 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.
  • Poplar Elem ranks #19 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #7 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
  • +37.1% 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, Poplar Elem's instructional payroll puts 12.0% into special education , 5.2 points above the state median of 6.7%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Montana peer.

Program Poplar Elem MT median Gap
Regular program 85.0% 90.0% -5.0 pp
Special education 12.0% 6.7% +5.2 pp
Vocational programs 3.0% 0.0% +3.0 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 3021240 · FY2023.

LEAID 3021240 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Poplar Elem F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +24% vs state RANK-ST-MID P86 in state RANK-NAT-MID P64 national PPE-HIGH $25K/pupil ENR-SMALL 596 students INSTR-MID 38% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Columbus FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $73,007 estimated average teacher salary · P86 in Montana · P64 nationally · 38% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Billings ($386est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Poplar Elem

Salary neighbourhood · Poplar Elem

Poplar Elem 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 Poplar Elem

Poplar Elem's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$73,007 Top 36% higher than 64% 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. Poplar Elem $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

Poplar Elem in Montana's upper-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 Poplar Elem ranks #19 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #7 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

Poplar Elem 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 Poplar Elem

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +37.1% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 24.5 points, a growth rate faster than 93% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 709 to 596 students (15.9% 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
$73,007.117

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
$80,215

+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 Poplar Elem

What the Numbers Say About Poplar Elem

Poplar Elem is a small school district in Montana, serving 596 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $24,676. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $73,007, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3021240 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Poplar Elem runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 23.6% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (3.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 86% 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, Poplar Elem reports $14.7M in total expenditure against $16.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 38% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $3.5M, special-education teacher pay is $0.5M.

How does Poplar Elem compare?

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

Poplar Elem $73,007
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Poplar Elem pays -1.7% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $24,676 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, Poplar Elem sits closest to Columbus H S; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Browning 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. Columbus H S
  2. Arlee Elem
  3. Anaconda Elem
  4. Harlem Elem
  5. Polson Elem
  6. Box Elder Elem
  7. Columbia Falls H S
  8. Lame Deer Elem
  9. Rocky Boy Elem
  10. Baker K-12 Schools
  11. Beaverhead County H S
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Browning Elem
  2. Jefferson H S
  3. Arlee Elem
  4. Rocky Boy Elem
  5. Townsend K-12 Schools
  6. Lame Deer Elem
  7. Box Elder Elem
  8. Hardin Elem
  9. Lodge Grass Elem
  10. Baker K-12 Schools
  11. Three Forks Elem

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Poplar Elem's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Poplar Elem: closest on enrollment (596 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($73,007 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

$16.3M
Total Revenue
$14.7M
Total Expenditure
$5.6M
Instruction Salaries
38% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$3.5M
Regular Program
$0.5M
Special Education
$0.1M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Poplar Elem: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 73% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 27% 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. Poplar Elem sits in the upper quarter of that field at 16 of 64, nearer the ceiling than the floor. 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.

Columbus Elem
$55,475
469 students
Harlem Elem
$71,547
467 students
Plains K-12
$50,813
453 students
Anaconda Elem
$72,424
740 students
Baker K-12 Schools
$70,356
451 students
Elysian Elem
$50,805
451 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 Poplar Elem
What is the average teacher salary in Poplar Elem?

The average teacher salary in Poplar Elem is $73,007 (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 Poplar Elem teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Poplar Elem pays 23.6% more than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $73,007.

How does Poplar Elem teacher pay compare to the national average?

Poplar Elem pays 3.9% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $73,007.

What is the per-pupil spending in Poplar Elem?

Poplar Elem spends approximately $24,676 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Poplar Elem's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 38% of Poplar Elem's total expenditure of $14.7M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Poplar Elem
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. Poplar Elem'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.