School district · Kansas · LEAID 2004470
Waconda
Waconda sits in the lowest third of Kansas districts on estimated teacher pay at $44,166 (above only 4% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Waconda come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $44,166
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $21,673
- Per-pupil spending
- 342
- Students enrolled
- 4th
- Pct. in KS
Well below benchmark
Waconda sits in the lowest third of Kansas districts on estimated teacher pay at $44,166 (above only 4% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $44,166, below the national average of $70,245, serving 342 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Lower-third pay in state: Waconda sits in the lowest third of Kansas districts on estimated teacher pay at $44,166 (above only 4% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
- 4th percentile for Kansas
- 4th percentile nationally
- 21% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Kansas ranks #37 of 49 on the salary estimate and #30 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Waconda ranks #239 of 249 Kansas districts by estimated teacher salary and #29 of 249 by per-pupil spending. Rock Creek pay #1 at $111,971 is not Moundridge spending #1 at $44,656 per pupil
- +11.8% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Kansas median
Among 286 Kansas districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Waconda's instructional payroll puts 96.7% into regular program , 4.0 points above the state median of 92.6%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Kansas district.
| Program | Waconda | KS median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 96.7% | 92.6% | +4.0 pp |
| Vocational programs | 3.1% | 4.6% | -1.5 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 286 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2004470 · FY2023.
LEAID 2004470 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Waconda F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $44,166 estimated average teacher salary · P4 in Kansas · P4 nationally · 21% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Wichita (+$4,710est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Waconda
Salary neighbourhood · Waconda
Waconda 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).
- Waconda
Waconda · this district · low pay
$44,166 est. salary
- Wichita · near
Wichita · near
$48,876 est. salary
- Spring · near
Spring · near
$50,107 est. salary
- Geary · near
Geary · near
$50,231 est. salary
- Arkansas · top pay
Arkansas · top pay
$78,278 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Waconda
Waconda's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$44,166 4th percentile higher than 4% 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
Waconda in Kansas's lower-third pay band
Same 249 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Rock Creek
Rock Creek
$111,971 est. avg salary
- Moundridge
Moundridge
$53,077 est. avg salary
- Waconda $44,166
Waconda
$44,166 est. avg salary
What this shows Waconda ranks #239 of 249 Kansas districts by estimated teacher salary and #29 of 249 by per-pupil spending. Rock Creek pay #1 at $111,971 is not Moundridge spending #1 at $44,656 per pupil
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Waconda is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Moundridge
Moundridge
$44,656 per pupil
- Waconda
Waconda
$21,673 per pupil
- Rock Creek $12,794
Rock Creek
$12,794 per pupil
What this shows Moundridge leads spending at $44,656 per pupil; Rock Creek leads pay.
What stands out about Waconda
- It ranks in the bottom 5% nationally for estimated teacher pay, above only 4% of districts.
- Estimated teacher pay here moved +11.8% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Kansas's statewide +15.7% by 3.9 points, a growth rate faster than 33% of the 279 Kansas districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
- Enrolment grew 8.9% here, from 314 students in FY2019 to 342 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 (342 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
- $44,165.831
- Kansas price level
- 89.9 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $49,123
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
+11% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Waconda
What the Numbers Say About Waconda
Waconda is a small school district in Kansas, serving 342 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $21,673. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $44,166, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2004470 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Kansas statewide average of $58,516, teacher pay in Waconda runs materially below the state benchmark, a 24.5% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (37.1% differential). Among enrolling districts in Kansas, it pays more than 4% of them. Kansas itself ranks #37 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Waconda reports $7.4M in total expenditure against $6.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 21% 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 $0.0M.
How does Waconda compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Kansas average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Waconda pays -9.6% less than Wichita · per-pupil $21,673 vs $17,945
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 Kansas districts
On pay, Waconda sits closest to Northeast; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Beloit. 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 Waconda's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Waconda: closest on enrollment (342 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($44,166 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 Waconda: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Kansas Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Kansas districts belongs to Rock Creek at $111,971. Placed 149 of 153, Waconda is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. Kentucky and West Virginia are the states closest to Kansas 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 Kansas districts →Other Kansas Districts
Smaller-district sample from 248 Kansas peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.
This is a sample of 6 from 248 Kansas districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Waconda
What is the average teacher salary in Waconda?
The average teacher salary in Waconda is $44,166 (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 Waconda teacher pay compare to the Kansas average?
Waconda pays 24.5% less than the Kansas state average of $58,516. The district's average is $44,166.
How does Waconda teacher pay compare to the national average?
Waconda pays 37.1% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $44,166.
What is the per-pupil spending in Waconda?
Waconda spends approximately $21,673 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Waconda's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 21% of Waconda's total expenditure of $7.4M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Waconda
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 |