School district · Montana · LEAID 3026190
Three Forks H S
Three Forks H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (278 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Three Forks H S come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $55,758
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $35,568
- Per-pupil spending
- 278
- Students enrolled
- 43rd
- Pct. in MT
Below benchmark
Three Forks H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (278 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $55,758, below the national average of $70,245, serving 278 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Three Forks H S is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (278 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 43rd percentile for Montana
- 27th percentile nationally
- 12% 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.
- Three Forks H S ranks #80 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #3 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
- -6.2% 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, Three Forks H S's instructional payroll puts 93.4% into regular program , 3.4 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 | Three Forks | MT median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 93.4% | 90.0% | +3.4 pp |
| Special education | 6.6% | 6.7% | -0.1 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 3026190 · FY2023.
LEAID 3026190 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Three Forks F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $55,758 estimated average teacher salary · P43 in Montana · P27 nationally · 12% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Florence-Carlton (+$744est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Three Forks
Salary neighbourhood · Three Forks
Three Forks 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
- Three · this district
Three · this district
$55,758 est. salary
- Florence-Carlton
Florence-Carlton · near
$56,501 est. salary
- Lockwood · near
Lockwood · near
$56,644 est. salary
- Corvallis · near
Corvallis · near
$56,714 est. salary
- Helena · top pay
Helena · top pay
$104,507 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Three Forks
Three Forks H S's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$55,758 27th percentile higher than 27% 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
Three Forks 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
- Three Forks H S
Three Forks H S
$55,758 est. avg salary
- Lolo Elem
Lolo Elem
$53,377 est. avg salary
What this shows Three Forks H S ranks #80 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #3 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
Three Forks H S is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Lolo Elem
Lolo Elem
$49,777 per pupil
- Three Forks H S
Three Forks H S
$35,568 per pupil
- Helena H S $13,679
Helena H S
$13,679 per pupil
What this shows Lolo Elem leads spending at $49,777 per pupil; Helena H S leads pay.
What stands out about Three Forks H S
- Estimated teacher pay here moved -6.2% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 18.7 points, a growth rate faster than 22% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
- Enrolment grew 39.0% here, from 200 students in FY2019 to 278 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 (278 students), where the enrollment-based salary estimate is more sensitive to staffing mix.
- Its per-pupil spending of $35,568 is among the highest in the nation.
This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests
- Nominal district estimate
- $55,757.576
- Montana price level
- 91.0 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $61,263
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 Three Forks H S
What the Numbers Say About Three Forks H S
Three Forks H S is a small school district in Montana, serving 278 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $35,568. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $55,758, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3026190 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Three Forks H S runs materially below the state benchmark, a 5.6% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (20.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 43% 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, Three Forks H S reports $9.9M in total expenditure against $4.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 12% 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 $0.1M.
How does Three Forks 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.
Three Forks H S pays -25.0% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $35,568 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, Three Forks H S sits closest to Poplar H S; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Heart Butte K-12 Schools. 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 Three Forks H S's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Three Forks H S: closest on enrollment (278 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($55,758 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 2 programs in Three Forks H S: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 70% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 30% 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 50 of 65, Three Forks H S 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 Three Forks H S
What is the average teacher salary in Three Forks H S?
The average teacher salary in Three Forks H S is $55,758 (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 Three Forks H S teacher pay compare to the Montana average?
Three Forks H S pays 5.6% less than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $55,758.
How does Three Forks H S teacher pay compare to the national average?
Three Forks H S pays 20.6% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $55,758.
What is the per-pupil spending in Three Forks H S?
Three Forks H S spends approximately $35,568 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Three Forks H S's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 12% of Three Forks H S's total expenditure of $9.9M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Three Forks 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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| Sources | Public official public datasets |