FAQ for HB2, TRA, and Compensations

Questions compiled from inquiries made by faculty in the email form sent on June 27, 2025, regarding HB2, TRA, and compensation.

Question	Answer
1. Who qualifies as an “eligible classroom teacher” for the $2,500 / $5,000 HB 2 raises?	According to HB2, a “classroom teacher” is an educator who teaches for at least 4 hours per instructional day. In our case, the law sets the award at $2,500 for 3‑4 years and $5,000 for 5+ years of verified experience. Please note that current hourly Apprentice Teachers are not eligible for TRA pay raises.
2. Does prior teaching outside Great Hearts, time as an Apprentice, or time in leadership roles count toward the experience threshold?	Yes, if it was full‑time instructional service in a public district (including charter schools) or state-accredited private school anywhere in the USA. Apprentice‑teacher years at GHTX do count. Years spent in non‑teaching leadership or aide roles that did not meet the ≥4 instructional hours/day definition do not count.
3. How will Great Hearts collect and verify my experience, and what if I never received the Workday email?	Email reminders will be sent to your work email address, prompting you to complete this form detailing work history background, AND request your previous employer to send “service records” directly to hr@greatheartstxschools.org by August 29th, 2025. If additional information is needed, HR will contact you directly.
4. When will the HB 2 raises and the separate 3 % COLA hit paychecks? Will they be retroactive?	TRA pay raises will be available when TEA finalizes HB 2 rule-making and sets a date to release the funds. Given their historical processes, the funds may not arrive until later in the calendar year. We will provide more information on this timeline as it becomes available.
5. Do HB 2 raises apply to instructional staff who aren’t coded as “classroom teachers,” such as interventionists, SPED teachers, or reading specialists?	If the role meets the ≥4 instructional hours/day definition and is thus coded as a teacher in our state reporting, it is eligible. Many interventionists and SPED teachers qualify; reading specialists may qualify depending on the schedule. HR will notify any role that falls outside the TRA as we gather all the related information.
6. What compensation changes are planned for employees who do NOT fall under HB 2—e.g., ops teams, central office, support roles?	Great Hearts Texas has budgeted a 3% cost-of-living raise for those salary and hourly positions who fall outside of the TRA teacher pay raise program. The timing of this potential COLA is dependent on the state’s final financial forecasts, our academy budgets, and the timeline of the TRA raises for HB2.
7. Will Great Hearts Online (NOVA) teachers who serve Texas students—but are paid through Arizona—receive HB 2 raises or other adjustments?	Nova instructors who are Texas employees qualify if they have more than 4 classroom hours dedicated to teaching Texas students. We are seeking guidance on flex staff teachers who serve multiple states.
8. Will Great Hearts publish an updated salary schedule or pay band for all roles?	We will update the salary ranges for every position—teaching, support, and leadership—to reflect both the HB 2 TRA amounts and cost-of-living adjustments. This process will run in parallel with the state processes, ensuring we have all the necessary information.
9. If the state’s rule‑making or funding is delayed, how will Great Hearts handle timing and retro pay?	It is unclear if any pay raises will be retroactive. This will depend on how the state funds these raises. In other words, as the state provides the funds, the raises become effective. These changes are “going forward” as the TRA pay increases are permanent, not temporary.
10. What does instruction mean? Can we include instructions for prepping and grading? Does it include supervision? Clubs/lyceum/lunch?	Planning, grading, supervision, lunch duty, clubs, and most study halls are not counted as “instruction.” Under HB 2, “instruction” tracks the long‑standing Texas Education Code definition of a classroom teacher—someone who spends at least four hours a day teaching in an academic or CTE instructional setting.
11. How will state funding, enrollment growth, and attendance targets shape long‑term pay?	Our priority is to continue improving our compensation and benefits as recognition of the vital work you do. Sustained enrollment growth and strong attendance increase our per-pupil funding, which is our primary source of revenue. Other rising expenses from HB2 may offset the slight increase in per-pupil funding for operating costs this year. However, we are working to stay competitive in our compensation for faculty and staff. As a nonprofit public charter school network, we must budget differently from a public school district, which has the authority to raise taxes within its jurisdiction.
12. Where can employees find ongoing updates, and whom should they contact with individual pay questions?	General questions: hr@greatheartstxschools.org.Personal record issues: contact your HR Business Partner (listed on the HR Hub).