Plains K-12

Public school district · Sanders County · Montana · NCES district ID 3020850

Plains K-12 spent $13,159 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 77% of the other Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,778). Its 3 schools enrolled 404 students in 2024-25; 50.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,183 per student, up 7.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80% or more (Montana: 85.5%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Montana districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Plains K-12 in enrollment (426 to 483 students) and Plains K-12 itself.

Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Plains K-12, FY23Baker Public Schools $19,184; Harlem Public Schools $16,186; St. Ignatius Public Schools $16,181; Big Sky $15,410; Plains K-12 $13,159; Deer Lodge School District #1 $12,286; Columbus Elementary $11,989; Manhattan School $11,112; Montana City Elementary $10,735; Elysian School $10,324; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.5k10k15k20kBaker Public Schools$19,184Harlem Public Schools$16,186St. Ignatius Public Schools$16,181Big Sky$15,410Plains K-12$13,159Deer Lodge School District #1$12,286Columbus Elementary$11,989Manhattan School$11,112Montana City Elementary$10,735Elysian School$10,324State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Plains K-12, FY23Baker Public Schools $19,184; Harlem Public Schools $16,186; St. Ignatius Public Schools $16,181; Big Sky $15,410; Plains K-12 $13,159; Deer Lodge School District #1 $12,286; Columbus Elementary $11,989; Manhattan School $11,112; Montana City Elementary $10,735; Elysian School $10,324; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.5k10k15k20kBaker Public Schools$19,184Harlem Public Schools$16,186St. Ignatius Public Schools$16,181Big Sky$15,410Plains K-12$13,159Deer Lodge School District #1$12,286Columbus Elementary$11,989Manhattan School$11,112Montana City Elementary$10,735Elysian School$10,324State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Plains K-12, FY23Baker Public Schools $19,184; Harlem Public Schools $16,186; St. Ignatius Public Schools $16,181; Big Sky $15,410; Plains K-12 $13,159; Deer Lodge School District #1 $12,286; Columbus Elementary $11,989; Manhattan School $11,112; Montana City Elementary $10,735; Elysian School $10,324; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.5k10k15k20kBaker Public Schools$19,184Harlem Public Schools$16,186St. Ignatius Public Schools$16,181Big Sky$15,410Plains K-12$13,159Deer Lodge School District #1$12,286Columbus Elementary$11,989Manhattan School$11,112Montana City Elementary$10,735Elysian School$10,324State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Plains K-12, FY23Baker Public Schools $19,184; Harlem Public Schools $16,186; St. Ignatius Public Schools $16,181; Big Sky $15,410; Plains K-12 $13,159; Deer Lodge School District #1 $12,286; Columbus Elementary $11,989; Manhattan School $11,112; Montana City Elementary $10,735; Elysian School $10,324; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.5k10k15k20kBaker Public Schools$19,184Harlem Public Schools$16,186St. Ignatius Public Schools$16,181Big Sky$15,410Plains K-12$13,159Deer Lodge School District #1$12,286Columbus Elementary$11,989Manhattan School$11,112Montana City Elementary$10,735Elysian School$10,324State median, under 1,000 students $16,778

Where the money came from

$6,265,000 in revenue: 50.6% state, 32.0% local and 17.4% federal. Total spending including $209,000 of capital outlay was $6,208,000, or $13,704 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Plains K-12 revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $3,171,000; Local $2,006,000; Federal $1,088,000; total $6,265,000.
  • State$3,171,000 51%
  • Local$2,006,000 32%
  • Federal$1,088,000 17%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 361 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

453 students in 2022-23, 427 students in 2023-24, 404 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Plains K-12 enrollment by school year2022-23: 453, 2023-24: 427, 2024-25: 40402004006002022-234532023-244272024-25404
Plains K-12 enrollment by school year2022-23: 453, 2023-24: 427, 2024-25: 40402004006002022-234532023-244272024-25404
Plains K-12 enrollment by school year2022-23: 453, 2023-24: 427, 2024-25: 40402004006002022-234532023-244272024-25404
Plains K-12 enrollment by school year2022-23: 453, 2023-24: 427, 2024-25: 40402004006002022-234532023-244272024-25404

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2345331.414.4
2023-2442732.913.0
2024-2540431.113.0

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$1,594,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,519 per student

Plains K-12 booked $1,594,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 31 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $50,813 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 43 in 100 Montana districts with a figure (state median $53,321, 282 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$1,373,00086.1%
Special education$107,0006.7%
Vocational$114,0007.2%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,427 in 2018-19, $3,688 in 2019-20, $3,942 in 2020-21, $3,511 in 2021-22, $3,519 in 2022-23.

Plains K-12 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,427, 2019-20: $3,688, 2020-21: $3,942, 2021-22: $3,511, 2022-23: $3,51901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,4272019-20$3,6882020-21$3,9422021-22$3,5112022-23$3,519
Plains K-12 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,427, 2019-20: $3,688, 2020-21: $3,942, 2021-22: $3,511, 2022-23: $3,51901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,4272019-20$3,6882020-21$3,9422021-22$3,5112022-23$3,519
Plains K-12 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,427, 2019-20: $3,688, 2020-21: $3,942, 2021-22: $3,511, 2022-23: $3,51901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,4272019-20$3,6882020-21$3,9422021-22$3,5112022-23$3,519
Plains K-12 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,427, 2019-20: $3,688, 2020-21: $3,942, 2021-22: $3,511, 2022-23: $3,51901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,4272019-20$3,6882020-21$3,9422021-22$3,5112022-23$3,519

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Plains K-12 scored proficient or above: 49% in reading and 45% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Montana, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMontanaStudents tested
Reading and language arts49%45.7%223
Math45%35.2%222

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

80% or more of the 26 students in Plains K-12's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.5% across Montana. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMontana
Four-year graduation rate80% or more85.5%
Students in the class2610,838

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

1 elementary school, 218 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Plains Elementary School21813.692.2%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 65 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Plains 7-86516.090.8%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 121 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Plains High School12111.095.0%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Plains K-12

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Plains K-12

  1. Montana districts by spending per studentPlains K-12 ranks 279 of 361 Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,159).#279 of 361
  2. Every school district in MontanaPlains K-12 is the number 73 by size of 398 Montana districts, with 453 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#73 of 398
  3. Harlem Public SchoolsThe next larger Montana district: 467 students in fall 2022, $16,186 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,186
  4. Baker Public SchoolsThe next smaller Montana district: 451 students in fall 2022, $19,184 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,184
  5. Compare Plains K-12 with Harlem Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Plains High School, its largest high school121 students in 2024-25, 11.0 per teacher.121
  7. Teacher salary spending across MontanaPlains K-12 spent $50,813 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $53,321); spending, not a salary.$50,813
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Plains K-12

  1. How many schools and students are in Plains K-12?
    3 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 404 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Plains K-12 spend per student?
    $13,159 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Montana median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,778 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,183 per student, up 7.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Plains K-12's money come from?
    $6,265,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 50.6% state, 32.0% local and 17.4% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Plains K-12 live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 82 of the 560 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 14.6%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Plains K-12 spend on teacher salaries?
    $1,594,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,519 per student. Divided by the 31 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $50,813 per teacher, more than 43 in 100 Montana districts (state median $53,321). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Plains K-12 do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Plains K-12 scored proficient or above: 49% in reading and 45% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Montana's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Plains K-12?
    80% or more of the 26 students in Plains K-12's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.5% across Montana. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Plains K-12's NCES district ID?
    3020850. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .