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School district · Minnesota · LEAID 2742750

Willow River Public School District

Willow River Public School District sits in the lowest third of Minnesota districts on estimated teacher pay at $57,838 (above only 16% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Willow River Public School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$57,838
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$17,068
Per-pupil spending
413
Students enrolled
16th
Pct. in MN
$57,838

Willow River Public School District sits in the lowest third of Minnesota districts on estimated teacher pay at $57,838 (above only 16% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $57,838, below the national average of $70,245, serving 413 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Willow River Public School District sits in the lowest third of Minnesota districts on estimated teacher pay at $57,838 (above only 16% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 16th percentile for Minnesota
  • 32nd percentile nationally
  • 40% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Minnesota ranks #22 of 49 on the salary estimate and #21 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Willow River Public School District ranks #260 of 310 Minnesota districts by estimated teacher salary and #205 of 310 by per-pupil spending. Bloomington Public School District pay #1 at $101,366 is not Red Rock Central School District spending #1 at $46,321 per pupil
  • +17.9% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Minnesota median

Among 354 Minnesota districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Willow River Public School District's instructional payroll puts 76.1% into regular program , 3.5 points below the state median of 79.6%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Willow River MN median Gap
Regular program 76.1% 79.6% -3.5 pp
Special education 16.5% 15.3% +1.2 pp
Vocational programs 5.4% 3.4% +2.0 pp
Other programs 2.0% 0.4% +1.5 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 354 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2742750 · FY2023.

LEAID 2742750 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Willow River F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -15% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P16 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P32 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-TINY 413 students INSTR-MID 40% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Deer FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $57,838 estimated average teacher salary · P16 in Minnesota · P32 nationally · 40% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Spring (+$5,382est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Willow River

Salary neighbourhood · Willow River

Willow River 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 Willow River

Willow River Public School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$57,838 32nd percentile higher than 32% 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. This district $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

Willow River in Minnesota's lower-third pay band

Same 310 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Willow River Public School District ranks #260 of 310 Minnesota districts by estimated teacher salary and #205 of 310 by per-pupil spending. Bloomington Public School District pay #1 at $101,366 is not Red Rock Central School District spending #1 at $46,321 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Willow River Public School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Red Rock Central School District leads spending at $46,321 per pupil; Bloomington Public School District leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Willow River Public School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +17.9% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Minnesota's statewide +14.0% by 3.9 points, a growth rate faster than 67% of the 326 Minnesota districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • It is a very small district (413 students), where the enrollment-based salary estimate is more sensitive to staffing mix.

Minnesota sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$57,837.695

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Minnesota price level
98.3 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$58,837

+2% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Minnesota sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

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 Minnesota 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 Willow River Public School District

What the Numbers Say About Willow River Public School District

Willow River Public School District is a small school district in Minnesota, serving 413 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $17,068. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $57,838, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2742750 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Minnesota statewide average of $68,032, teacher pay in Willow River Public School District runs materially below the state benchmark, a 15.0% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (17.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in Minnesota, it pays more than 16% of them. Minnesota itself ranks #22 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Willow River Public School District reports $7.0M in total expenditure against $7.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 40% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $1.7M, special-education teacher pay is $0.4M.

How does Willow River Public School District compare?

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

Willow River Public School District $57,838
Anoka-Hennepin School District $83,820
Minnesota avg $68,032
National avg $70,245

Willow River Public School District pays -31.0% less than Anoka-Hennepin School District · per-pupil $17,068 vs $17,610

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 Minnesota districts

On pay, Willow River Public School District sits closest to Deer River Public School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Ada-Borup-West Public 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.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Deer River Public School District
  2. Cedar Mountain School District
  3. Round Lake-brewster Public Schools
  4. Chatfield Public Schools
  5. Mabel-Canton Public School District
  6. Red Lake Falls Public School Dist.
  7. Red Lake County Central Public Sch
  8. Tracy Area Public School District
  9. Cannon Falls Public School District
  10. Kittson Central School District
  11. Henning Public School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Ada-Borup-West Public Schools
  2. Caledonia Public School District
  3. Goodhue Public School District
  4. Spring Grove School District
  5. Pine Island Public School District
  6. Lewiston-Altura Public School Dist
  7. Isle Public School District
  8. Bird Island-olivia-lake Lillian
  9. Martin County West School District
  10. Holdingford Public School District
  11. St. James Public School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Willow River Public School District's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Willow River Public School District: closest on enrollment (413 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($57,838 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

$7.3M
Total Revenue
$7.0M
Total Expenditure
$2.8M
Instruction Salaries
40% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$1.7M
Regular Program
$0.4M
Special Education
$0.1M
Vocational
$0.0M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Willow River Public School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 78% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 22% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Minnesota Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Minnesota districts belongs to Bloomington Public School District at $101,366. Placed 219 of 251, Willow River Public School District is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. On BEA's price parity Minnesota sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Maine and Nevada are its nearest price peers.

View all Minnesota districts →

Other Minnesota Districts

Smaller-district sample from 315 Minnesota peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Nicollet Public School District
$55,499
347 students
Laporte Public School District
$49,582
347 students
Westbrook-walnut Grove Schools
$62,430
480 students
Southwest Metro Intermediate 288
$64,392
484 students
Carlton Public School District
$48,344
342 students
Hills-beaver Creek School District
$50,759
341 students

This is a sample of 6 from 315 Minnesota districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow River Public School District
What is the average teacher salary in Willow River Public School District?

The average teacher salary in Willow River Public School District is $57,838 (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 Willow River Public School District teacher pay compare to the Minnesota average?

Willow River Public School District pays 15.0% less than the Minnesota state average of $68,032. The district's average is $57,838.

How does Willow River Public School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Willow River Public School District pays 17.7% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $57,838.

What is the per-pupil spending in Willow River Public School District?

Willow River Public School District spends approximately $17,068 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Willow River Public School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 40% of Willow River Public School District's total expenditure of $7.0M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Willow River Public School District
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. Willow River Public School District'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.