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School district · Montana · LEAID 3002850

Smith Valley Elem

Smith Valley Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (224 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Smith Valley Elem come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$50,349
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$11,295
Per-pupil spending
224
Students enrolled
21st
Pct. in MT
$50,349

Smith Valley Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (224 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $50,349, below the national average of $70,245, serving 224 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Smith Valley Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (224 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 21st percentile for Montana
  • 15th percentile nationally
  • 43% 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.
  • Smith Valley Elem ranks #110 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #127 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
  • +1.3% 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, Smith Valley Elem's instructional payroll puts 94.7% into regular program , 4.7 points above the state median of 90.0%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Montana district.

Program Smith Valley MT median Gap
Regular program 94.7% 90.0% +4.7 pp
Special education 5.3% 6.7% -1.5 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 3002850 · FY2023.

LEAID 3002850 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Smith Valley F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -15% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P21 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P15 national PPE-LOW $11K/pupil ENR-TINY 224 students INSTR-MID 43% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Shelby FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $50,349 estimated average teacher salary · P21 in Montana · P15 nationally · 43% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Frenchtown (+$765est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Smith Valley

Salary neighbourhood · Smith Valley

Smith Valley 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 Smith Valley

Smith Valley Elem's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$50,349 15th percentile higher than 15% 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. Smith Valley 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

Smith Valley 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 Smith Valley Elem ranks #110 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #127 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

Smith Valley 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 Smith Valley Elem

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +1.3% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 11.2 points, a growth rate faster than 32% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • It is a very small district (224 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
$50,349.206

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
$55,320

+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 Smith Valley Elem

What the Numbers Say About Smith Valley Elem

Smith Valley Elem is a small school district in Montana, serving 224 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $11,295. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $50,349, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3002850 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Smith Valley Elem runs materially below the state benchmark, a 14.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (28.3% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 21% 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, Smith Valley Elem reports $2.5M in total expenditure against $2.5M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 43% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $0.8M, special-education teacher pay is $0.0M.

How does Smith Valley Elem compare?

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

Smith Valley Elem $50,349
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Smith Valley Elem pays -32.2% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $11,295 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, Smith Valley Elem sits closest to Shelby Elem; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Fort Benton 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. Shelby Elem
  2. Elder Grove Elem
  3. Shepherd Elem
  4. Ennis K-12 Schools
  5. Darby K-12 Schools
  6. Helena Flats Elem
  7. Clinton Elem
  8. Elysian Elem
  9. Plains K-12
  10. Browning H S
  11. Glasgow K-12 Schools
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Fort Benton Elem
  2. Big Timber Elem
  3. Montana City Elem
  4. Lincoln County H S
  5. Bigfork Elem
  6. Independent Elem
  7. Lone Rock Elem
  8. Joliet Elem
  9. Dillon Elem
  10. Target Range Elem
  11. Somers Elem

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Smith Valley Elem's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Smith Valley Elem: closest on enrollment (224 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($50,349 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

$2.5M
Total Revenue
$2.5M
Total Expenditure
$1.1M
Instruction Salaries
43% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$0.8M
Regular Program
$0.0M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Smith Valley Elem: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and 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. Placed 61 of 65, Smith Valley 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.

Belt Elem
$53,264
271 students
Lodge Grass Elem
$61,019
274 students
Poplar H S
$55,931
276 students
Three Forks H S
$55,758
278 students
Helena Flats Elem
$50,000
280 students
Anaconda H S
$48,802
281 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 Smith Valley Elem
What is the average teacher salary in Smith Valley Elem?

The average teacher salary in Smith Valley Elem is $50,349 (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 Smith Valley Elem teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Smith Valley Elem pays 14.7% less than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $50,349.

How does Smith Valley Elem teacher pay compare to the national average?

Smith Valley Elem pays 28.3% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $50,349.

What is the per-pupil spending in Smith Valley Elem?

Smith Valley Elem spends approximately $11,295 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 43% of Smith Valley Elem's total expenditure of $2.5M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Smith Valley 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. Smith Valley 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.