Determination of Salaries for New Hires 

Policies Concerning Credit for Prior Experience 

Teachers: Salaries are determined through experience credit by placement at the appropriate step of the Teacher Initial Compensation Placement Table. HISD grants one (1) year of teaching experience for every one (1) year of TEA-approved teaching experience. 

NES Teachers: Teachers working in the NES will be assigned salaries based on the NES salary table. 

Nurses (Registered Nurses): HISD grants Registered Nurses (RN) one (1) year of HISD experience per one (1) year of relevant non-school-based RN experience. School-based experience will be credited based on one (1) year for each year of validated experience. (See page 69 for explanation and exceptions). 

Speech Therapists: HISD grants speech therapists one (1) year of HISD experience for every one (1) year of relevant non-school-based experience, up to ten (10) years, including up to three (3) years of the internship. No more than ten (10) years of total non-school non-TEA-based experience will be credited toward advanced salary placement on the appropriate Salary Table for speech therapists’ roles. School- based experience will be credited based on one (1) year for each year of validated experience. (See HISD Policies for Evaluating Prior Work Experience on page 76 for explanation and exceptions). 

Evaluation Specialists: Paid at their appropriate pay table. (See page 18) 

Counselors and Librarians: Paid at their appropriate pay tables. (See page18) 

Assistant Principals/Deans: Paid at their appropriate pay tables. (See pages 11 and 22) 

Principals: Salaries for principals are developed based on a combination of pay components including years of experience as a principal, school level, and campus-based variables. (See page 9) 

Non-Teachers 

• Salaries will be determined by hiring managers with the guidelines of established pay ranges. As a general rule, employees who have not served in the same role previously will begin at the minimum of the range. 
• Candidates must have at least 3 years’ experience in a comparable position (job responsibilities and level of authority) to be placed above the minimum. 

Recommending a Salary (Minimum to Midpoint) 

Hiring managers will have the discretion to select and recommend a salary to Human Resources to include in the offer letter. Upon selecting a candidate, hiring managers will provide Human Resources with a salary recommendation and a completed Salary Recommendation Checklist that outlines the salary selection rationale based on the following criteria: 

- The candidate is highly sought after and highly qualified. 

- The position has been identified as critical to the school or department. 

- The candidate has performed in a comparable position (job responsibilities and level of authority) or higher. 

- The candidate has other relevant qualification (e.g., value of experience, additional certification that directly relate to the position). 

Recommending a Salary Above the Midpoint of the Range
All salary recommendations that are above the midpoint of the range must be submitted by the requesting chief with the completed Salary Recommendation Checklist to the Chief Human Resources Officer for final approval. 

• All submissions will be reviewed and processed within 24 hours. 

Salary Assignment Audits
Human Resources will perform quarterly audits to review the number of midpoint assignments and above midpoint assignments have been received and approved for each department. 

Salary Recommendation & Checklist.pdf

Additional Compensation Policies 

Determination of Salaries Due to Transfers

Promotions

• Promotional opportunities occur based on business needs and align with budgetary requirements.
• A promotion is defined as advancement to a job in a higher-level pay grade which may include increased authority, duties, and/or responsibilities. Lateral transfers are moves to positions that are the same pay grade and are not promotions.
• Career paths are defined as opportunities for employees to advance through the organization on a designated course, based on individual performance, business needs, and available budget. Moving through a career path does not result in an automatic adjustment to base pay. There may be circumstances where a career path provides for lateral movement and therefore, may not be accompanied by a pay increase.

Other Types of Transfers Between Tables 
A transfer between tables refers to the movement of an employee from one salary table to a different salary table. This type of transfer stipulates that the employee will be evaluated by the hiring manager who will follow the Salary Assignment Guidelines and provide a completed Salary Recommendation & Checklist Form to the Compensation Department.

Lateral Transfer
A lateral transfer refers to the movement of an employee from one position to another at the same salary range. This type of transfer will not result in a pay change unless there is an adjustment for a change in the work schedule.

Voluntary Transfer to a Position in a Lower Pay Grade 
When an employee voluntarily transfers to a position in a lower pay range based on the employee’s written voluntary request, the following procedures will apply:

Employees on the Master or Technology Pay Scales
The hiring manger will determine the salary of an employee who voluntarily transfers to a position in a lower pay range. The hiring manager will use the Salary Assignment Guidelines and submit the Salary Recommendation Checklist form to the Compensation Department.

The new salary will be adjusted for any raise approved by the Board for that school year.

Promotions 

• Promotional opportunities occur based on business needs and align with budgetary requirements. 
• A promotion is defined as advancement to a job in a higher-level pay grade which may include increased authority, duties, and/or responsibilities. Lateral transfers are moves to positions that are the same pay grade and are not promotions. 
• Career paths are defined as opportunities for employees to advance through the organization on a designated course, based on individual performance, business needs, and available budget. Moving through a career path does not result in an automatic adjustment to base pay. There may be circumstances where a career path provides for lateral movement and therefore, may not be accompanied by a pay increase. 

Other Types of Transfers Between Tables 
A transfer between tables refers to the movement of an employee from one salary table to a different salary table. This type of transfer stipulates that the employee will be evaluated by the hiring manager who will follow the Salary Assignment Guidelines and provide a completed Salary Recommendation & Checklist Form to the Compensation Department. 

Lateral Transfer
A lateral transfer refers to the movement of an employee from one position to another at the same salary range. This type of transfer will not result in a pay change unless there is an adjustment for a change in the work schedule. 

Voluntary Transfer to a Position in a Lower Pay Grade
When an employee voluntarily transfers to a position in a lower pay range based on the employee’s written voluntary request, the following procedures will apply: 

Employees on the Master or Technology Pay Scales
The hiring manger will determine the salary of an employee who voluntarily transfers to a position in a lower pay range. The hiring manager will use the Salary Assignment Guidelines and submit the Salary Recommendation Checklist form to the Compensation Department. 

The new salary will be adjusted for any raise approved by the Board for that school year. 

Employees with a Contract (Teacher, Performance, or Administrative)
The contract employee’s pay will be adjusted by policy not to conflict with the terms of the contract or law. If reassigned during the contract period, the employee will be compensated at their current salary for the remainder of the contract period. Thereafter, the employee will be paid a salary as determined by the Hiring Manager using the Salary Assignment Guidelines. If the position is paid on a step salary scale, the employee will be paid the step amount specified by the placement guidelines for that job. Employees with a performance contract will have their pay adjusted by the performance amount. 

Involuntary Transfer, Administrative Transfer, and Transfer Due to Staffing Reductions or Reorganizations 

Employees on the Master or Technology Pay Scales
Employees who are reassigned to a lower pay range or transfer due to an administrative transfer, a reorganization, or a reduction in staff will be placed in the new pay range with a salary assigned by the Hiring Manager using the Salary Assignment Guidelines. If the work schedule changes as part of the reassignment, then the pay is adjusted accordingly. 

No Additional Increase
If an employee is allowed to retain his or her salary after a transfer to a lower grade, the employee is not entitled to a promotional increase if the former grade is restored due to a transfer, reorganization, or reclassification for one (1) year from the date of prior transfer. Previous pay reductions, however, may be restored. 

Employees with a Contract (Teacher, Performance, or Administrative)
For employees who have contracts, the employee’s pay will be adjusted by policy not to conflict with the terms of the contract or state regulations. If reassigned during the contract period, the employee will be compensated at their current salary for the remainder of the contract period. Thereafter, the employee will be paid a salary assigned by the Hiring Manager using the Salary Assignment Guidelines. If the position has a fixed rate salary or is paid on a step salary scale, the employee will be paid the step or fixed amount specified by the placement guidelines for that job. Employees with a performance contract will have their pay adjusted by the performance amount. 

Hourly Status Personnel
The employee who is reassigned to an hourly assignment in a lower pay range will be placed in the new pay range at the appropriate lower hourly rate for that position. The employee will be paid a salary as assigned by the Hiring Manager using the Salary Assignment Guidelines. . 

Involuntary Reassignment for Performance Reasons
When an employee is reassigned to a position in a lower pay grade, due to an inability to perform at a satisfactory level, or is reassigned under a performance contract as assessed and documented by the administration, the following procedures will govern pay adjustments: 

Employees on the Master or Technology Pay Scales
The employee’s pay will be placed in the new pay range with a salary assigned by the Hiring Manager using the Salary Assignment Guidelines. If the work schedule changes as part of the reassignment, then the pay is adjusted accordingly. 

If the employee is involuntarily transferred to a position in a lower pay grade after serving less than one full year in the higher position, the employee will be returned to his/her previous salary. The salary will be adjusted for any raise approved by the school board for that school year. 

Employees on a Contract (Teacher, Performance, or Administrative)
For employees who have contracts, the employee’s pay will be adjusted by policy not to conflict with the terms of the contract or state regulations. If reassigned during the contract period, the employee will be compensated at their current salary for the remainder of the contract period. Thereafter, the employee will be paid a salary assigned by the Hiring Manager using the Salary Recommendation Guidelines. If the position is paid on a step salary scale, the employee will be paid the step amount specified by the placement guidelines for that job. Employees with a performance contract will have their pay adjusted by the performance amount. 

Exceptions to the policies on involuntary transfers must be approved in writing by the Chief Human Resources Officer before communication to the employee affected by the policy. 

Changes in Work Schedule
Due to business needs, employees will at times have their work schedules adjusted by their administration. An employee whose work schedule is changed but who continues to occupy the same job or position will be compensated at his or her current hourly rate of pay, adjusted for the new work schedule.

Transfers Involving Hourly Employees
Hourly Employees Transferring to Regular Employment Status 
Employees in this transfer situation will be placed at the minimum salary of the assigned pay range. Full-time validated experience may be reviewed as stated in Assessing Education and Experience in this Compensation Manual. Hourly Crafts and Trades food service, and custodian employees transferring to regular employment status will be treated as new hires under Section VIII, page 78 for Salary Placement for Particular Positions - New Crafts/Trades, Nutrition Services, and Custodian Personnel.” 

Regular Status Employees Transferring to the Same Job in an Hourly Status
Administrative support, non-instructional, crafts/trades, food service, or custodial employees changing from a regular position to the same position on an hourly basis will receive an hourly rate equivalent to their current base hourly pay rate. 

• For 12-month employees, the annual rate will be divided by the annual hours of the work schedule for the position; or 
• If the work schedule is less than 12 months, then the appropriate number of hours for that work schedule will be used. 

Hourly Status Employees Changing to another Hourly Status Position
Administrative support, non-instructional, crafts/trades, food service, bus driver, or custodial employee changing from one hourly position to another hourly position in the same range or lower will be placed in the new position using the same policy as for hourly employee hires. 

NON-NES CAMPUSES:

Pay Administration for Particular Jobs pdf

Principal PayScale Salary Tables

High School Principals
Specialty High Schools $124,000
Comprehensive High Schools $139,000
*$7,500 Performance Contract Pay is included in the salary amounts.

Middle School Principals $114,000
*$7,500 Performance Contract Pay is included in the salary amounts

Elementary School Principals $108,500
Principals will receive an additional component of pay based on their years of principal experience.

Principals will receive an additional component of pay based on their school’s complexity factors. 

Additional Components
$1,000 is paid for a Doctorate. 

NON-NES CAMPUSES:

Assistant Principal Salary Rates (page 17) pdf.

Salary is based on the following Initial Compensation Placement Table.

An employee who does not earn a creditable year of service is not eligible for a pay increase. Assistant principals or deans who work less than half-time are not eligible to earn a creditable year of experience and will not advance on the Initial Compensation Placement Tables. 

Non-Assistant Principal or Dean Experience 

• Experience credit is not given until the minimum requirement for the assistant principal position of five years of teaching experience is met. 
• Employees with certified educational experience such as classroom teachers will be given one (1) year of credit for every two (2) years of experience after the minimum five (5) years of teaching experience is met. Maximum placement for this experience is experience level 5, step 1. 
• Employees with full-time, non-teaching experience in positions above teacher but not requiring administrative certification, such as a counselor, magnet coordinator, Title I coordinator, school improvement facilitator, etc., will be given one year credit for each year of experience. This experience will be in addition to any steps earned through teacher experience. Maximum placement combining teacher-plus experience and teaching experience is experience level 5, step 1. 

Assistant Principal, Dean, or Equivalent Experience 

• Employees holding any position, in or out of the district, requiring administrative certification, will receive one-for-one experience credit up to the maximum of the salary table. 
• Experience as a Teacher Development Specialist will be given one for one experience credit up to the maximum on the salary table. 

The non-assistant principal or dean experience and assistant principal, dean, or equivalent experience as described above will be combined to determine placement on the salary scale. 

Exceptions to the experience credit guidelines in all cases will require the review and approval of the chief talent officer. 

Additional Components 

• $1,000 is paid for a Doctorate. Exception: If an assistant principal’s or dean’s salary currently exceeds the salary table (pay is grandfathered), the employee is not eligible for the additional payment for a Doctorate. 

NON-NES/A CAMPUSES: 

Extra Duty Pay 

Extra Duty Pay is paid at the supervisor’s discretion and is not required by law. Teacher are exempt employees which mean they are not compensated on an hourly basis and are not entitled to additional pay if completion of assigned duties requires that they work longer than their scheduled hours. 

Professionals paid on the Teacher Initial Compensation Placement Table who have assignments beyond the normal course and scope of their duties may be paid at the standard rate of $25 per hour for the additional time worked. (EXPAY) Such extra duty pay must be authorized in advance by the principal. Further, payment of extra duty pay in pasty school years does not obligate the district to continue extra duty pay for the same activities in subsequent years. 

Professionals paid on the Teacher Initial Compensation Placement Table providing tutorial beyond the regular day during the school year shall be paid at the standard rate of $50 per hour for the additional time worked. (EX50) See page 27 for an explanation of Extra Duty Pay – Academic Tutorials. 

• The rate for regular summer-school teachers is $40 per hour. 
• Extended Time (EXTM) for Teachers 
• Extended Time may be authorized by the principal or department head based on available funds in their school budgets. 
• Extended time is not a contract extension but is for work performed after the end date of the contract. 
• Employees assigned to extended time do not accrue additional sick leave or vacation days for the extended period. 
• No property rights to such extensions are given or implied through extended time assignments. 
• Extended time is paid at the teacher’s hourly rate of pay. 

Note: This policy excludes summer school assignments as listed in section III, page 14. 

Coaching Assignment Extended Time
In addition to the coaching stipend for extra duties during the school year, extended time will be granted in this category in certain assignments for a specific number of days based on the teacher’s current salary. See page 42 for a complete listing. 

New coaches may be hired before the beginning of their work schedules on an hourly basis (based on last year’s salary schedule). 

Hourly Teachers
Hourly Teachers will be placed on a step based on their experience at the time of their hire and will receive Board approved increases thereafter. Their hourly rate will not be reduced due to changes in the number of years included in the steps. 

Substitute Teacher
Substitute Teacher (pg 12) pdf.

Long-term is defined as an substitute teacher with a four-year bachelor’s degree placed in the same position/classroom, for the teacher of record, in the same school for over 10 days. 

A dedicated substitute teacher is eligible for five (5) state leave days.
Unused leave days are forfeited upon release or resignation from the assignment.
Dedicated Substitute Teachers are eligible for health benefits and participate in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). 

Substitute Teacher holding Texas teacher certificates must show evidence of completion of the TECAT or TASP requirement to receive pay as Texas-certified Substitute Teacher. 

Substitute Teacher Incentive Pay Program: 

Substitute Teacher receiving substitute assignment at priority campuses, during the 2023-2024 school year, will receive premium pay of $23/hour. The time recorders and these campuses will have a special time recording code to pay the premium Substitute Teacher Pay.

Hourly Lecturers
Hourly Lecturers pdf (should not be used for part-time certified teachers)

Employees Working Summer School Assignments ** 

Employees Working Summer School Assignments
Employees Working Summer School Assignments pdf.

Summer school assignments are extra optional assignments performed after completion of the regular or contract work schedule and are not classified as extended time assignments. Employees working an additional authorization during the summer will be paid at the base hourly rate for the additional assignment. These summer assignments are board-approved programs. 

Hourly transportation employees are to be paid based on the type of work performed. The rates of pay are the same as used during the normal school year based on the job and employee’s rate of pay. 

The Superintendent of Schools has the authority to approve special rates for summer school programs.

Summer Temporaries - Audit 

Summer temporaries working as Audit Interns shall be placed on the master pay scale. 

Nutrition Services Employees
Annual and Daily Work Schedules (page 22) pdf.

Annual Work Schedules: The following table defines the number of duty days required for the respective number of scheduled months of employment with the district. 

Daily Work Schedule: Requires employees to work the number of hours per day shown in the table. 

Note: Assignments vary for Hourly Nutrition Services Attendants as needed. 

Time & Attendance System: TimeClock Plus (TCP): 

The District’s new Time & Attendance System will be implemented in multiple phases and is expected to be completed in FY24. 

All campuses/locations need two-time recorders since no one can enter or modify their own time. 

Non-Exempt Employees
Non-exempt employees (hourly and salaried non-exempt) must clock in and out each day, including clocking in and out for lunch. Morning and afternoon breaks cannot be combined with lunch. Note that lunch is unpaid time, and the 15-minute breaks are paid time. Campus staff may choose a schedule with either a 30-minute lunch or a 60-minute lunch. Non-campus staff must take a 60-minute lunch except during the 40/4 schedule in the summer months. 

All time worked by non-exempt staff must be compensated. Overtime should be pre-approved. 

New Nutrition Services Employee
New Nutrition Services Employee (page 22) pdf.

New Nutrition Services Employee 
Employees new to the district will be placed at the minimum salary of the assigned pay range for the current school year. Those at or above grade 19 may receive a salary assigned by the hiring manager using the Salary Assignment Guidelines. 

New Regular or Hourly Nutrition Services Employee
Employees in these positions/areas will be placed at the equivalent hourly rate for the minimum salary of the assigned pay range. 

New Nutrition Services Attendant Team Leaders 

Rates for Specific Hourly Positions
FS021H • Nutrition Services Attendant • Hourly $14.00

Differentials and Special Pay
These differences will be paid as extra pay and administered through the Time and Labor System (TRC).

Nutrition Services Travel Compensation
All Nutrition Services Cafeteria Employees: One-hour regular pay per day instead of mileage reimbursement will be provided to regular and hourly cafeteria employees, trainees, or team leads who are directed to travel from one school to another as part of their job duties. One (1) hour travel pay may also be allocated at the discretion of the general manager of operations for special travel circumstances.

Nutrition Services Team Lead Incentive Pay
Nutrition Services Team Lead who trains LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) program participants will receive an additional 6% for those hours of training during the six weeks in the fall and spring semesters. This aligns with HISD Pillar Leadership Excellence which ensures leaders are supported, developed, and challenged to grow.

Other Jobs with Special Rates 
Other jobs with special rates (page 24) pdf

Substitutes and Hourly Personnel: Employees placed into hourly positions not listed below should be assigned the minimum pay rate for the position’s salary grade.