School district · Montana · LEAID 3022080
Red Lodge Elem
Red Lodge Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (328 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Red Lodge Elem come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $54,420
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $12,854
- Per-pupil spending
- 328
- Students enrolled
- 39th
- Pct. in MT
Below benchmark
Red Lodge Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (328 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $54,420, below the national average of $70,245, serving 328 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Red Lodge Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (328 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 39th percentile for Montana
- 25th 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.
- Red Lodge Elem ranks #86 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #103 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
- +12.0% 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, Red Lodge Elem's instructional payroll puts 2.0% into vocational programs , 2.0 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 | Red Lodge | MT median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 90.9% | 90.0% | +0.9 pp |
| Special education | 7.1% | 6.7% | +0.3 pp |
| Vocational programs | 2.0% | 0.0% | +2.0 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 3022080 · FY2023.
LEAID 3022080 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Red Lodge F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $54,420 estimated average teacher salary · P39 in Montana · P25 nationally · 38% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Florence-Carlton (+$2,081est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Red Lodge
Salary neighbourhood · Red Lodge
Red Lodge sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).
- Livingston · low pole
Livingston · low pole
$42,701 est. salary
- East · near
East · near
$52,307 est. salary
- Red · this district
Red · this district
$54,420 est. salary
- Florence-Carlton
Florence-Carlton · near
$56,501 est. salary
- Lockwood · near
Lockwood · near
$56,644 est. salary
- Helena · top pay
Helena · top pay
$104,507 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Red Lodge
Red Lodge Elem's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$54,420 25th percentile higher than 25% of 10,684 US districts
Show national distribution
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
Red Lodge in Montana's lower-third pay band
Same 140 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Helena H S
Helena H S
$104,507 est. avg salary
- Red Lodge Elem
Red Lodge Elem
$54,420 est. avg salary
- Lolo Elem
Lolo Elem
$53,377 est. avg salary
What this shows Red Lodge Elem ranks #86 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #103 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
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Red Lodge Elem is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Lolo Elem
Lolo Elem
$49,777 per pupil
- Helena H S $13,679
Helena H S
$13,679 per pupil
- Red Lodge Elem $12,854
Red Lodge Elem
$12,854 per pupil
What this shows Lolo Elem leads spending at $49,777 per pupil; Helena H S leads pay.
What stands out about Red Lodge Elem
- Enrolment grew 5.8% here, from 310 students in FY2019 to 328 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.
- It is a very small district (328 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
- $54,419.677
- Montana price level
- 91.0 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $59,793
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
+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 Red Lodge Elem
What the Numbers Say About Red Lodge Elem
Red Lodge Elem is a small school district in Montana, serving 328 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $12,854. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $54,420, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3022080 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Red Lodge Elem runs materially below the state benchmark, a 7.9% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (22.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 39% 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, Red Lodge Elem reports $4.2M in total expenditure against $4.7M 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 $1.3M, special-education teacher pay is $0.1M.
How does Red Lodge Elem compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Montana average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Red Lodge Elem pays -26.8% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $12,854 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, Red Lodge Elem sits closest to Ronan H S; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Laurel H S. 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.
Similar estimated teacher pay
Similar per-pupil investment
Out-of-state districts near Red Lodge Elem's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Red Lodge Elem: closest on enrollment (328 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($54,420 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
Instructional Salary by Program
The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Red Lodge Elem: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 87% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 13% 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 52 of 65, Red Lodge Elem 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.
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 Red Lodge Elem
What is the average teacher salary in Red Lodge Elem?
The average teacher salary in Red Lodge Elem is $54,420 (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 Red Lodge Elem teacher pay compare to the Montana average?
Red Lodge Elem pays 7.9% less than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $54,420.
How does Red Lodge Elem teacher pay compare to the national average?
Red Lodge Elem pays 22.5% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $54,420.
What is the per-pupil spending in Red Lodge Elem?
Red Lodge Elem spends approximately $12,854 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Red Lodge Elem's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 38% of Red Lodge Elem's total expenditure of $4.2M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Red Lodge 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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| Sources | Public official public datasets |