All employees MUST log in to the benefit portal and complete the enrollment process annually. This happens during open enrollment, which is at the beginning of the school year. Even if you plan to decline all coverage, you must log in and decline. New employees will be required to log-in and complete the process within 30 days of their start date. You will then STILL have to log in during open enrollment in August. For most staff, your 30 days falls into the open enrollment window, but if you are hired and start mid-year, this will apply.
Employee benefits can be a confusing area to navigate. Hawley ISD uses a Third Party Administrator (TPA) that handles all of our supplemental insurance. That would be for things like dental, vision, disability, etc. HISD has a non-compete clause with the TPA, so if you are approached by other sales representatives claiming to be representing HISD, please disregard their communication. We will always send you information if we are asking someone to contact you.
Employees can sign up for benefits at certain designated times. New employees will be required to log-in and complete the process within 30 days of their start date. You will then STILL have to log in during open enrollment in August. For most staff, your 30 days falls into the open enrollment window, but if you are hired and start mid-year, this will apply.
Open Enrollment is the annual time every year where employees select insurance and make any changes. All employees MUST log in to the benefit portal and complete the enrollment process annually. EVEN IF YOU ARE DENYING ANY INSURANCE COVERAGE. You must click each option to decline coverage. Hawley ISD pays for a small life insurance policy, and you will need to add a beneficiary.
One insurance that is often overlooked is Disability. This can be extremely helpful for employees planning to have a baby in the near future. You cannot sign up after you are pregnant for coverage. You must already have the insurance before pregnancy, or it is a pre-existing condition.
If you are pregnant, communicate with the Business Office EARLY! We can help save you some stress and difficulty if you plan for maternity leave as soon as possible.
Additional Portal Instructions
Retirement
All district employees pay into the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). To be able to track your retirement contributions, you need to set up a MyTRS account at https://oapi.trs.state.tx.us/ONAC/do/login. If you’ve had a MyTRS account in the past, you will need to re-establish your account. TRS has changed their portal.
