School Business Insider

Episode Title: Federal Priorities, Texas Realities
Date: February 24, 2026
Host: John Brucato
Guest: Christopher Smith, CFO, Katy Independent School District, Texas; Chair, ASBO International’s Federal Advocacy Advisory Committee

Episode Overview

This episode explores the intersection of federal education policy advocacy and its tangible impact on local districts, with a special focus on Texas. Host John Brucato sits down with Christopher Smith—recently appointed chair of ASBO International’s Federal Advocacy Advisory Committee—to discuss how federal priorities are set, the challenges of persistent advocacy, the real-world implications for Texas school districts, and how business officials can better engage in advocacy efforts without feeling overwhelmed. The conversation offers practical insights for school business leaders across the country, especially as they navigate evolving funding, legislative mandates, enrollment trends, and political dynamics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chris Smith's Role in Federal Advocacy

Timestamps: 01:26 – 02:45

• Smith is new in his role as chair but has been on the Federal Advocacy Advisory Committee for three years.
• He works closely with ASBO staff, particularly Elica Yost, to guide the committee’s work and impact classrooms nationwide.
  • “The role of the chairman of the committee is to try to lead the group ... with the hopes of making an impact to the classrooms across our country.” – Chris Smith [01:41]

2. Why Take on Advocacy Leadership Now?

Timestamp: 02:59

• Recognizes the challenge of leading during a difficult time but welcomes it.
  • “I don't back down from a challenge, I guess. And when offered the opportunity to do it, I thought, you know, I'm not doing my job right if I don't do it.” – Chris Smith [02:59]

3. Shaping Federal Advocacy Priorities

Timestamps: 03:30 – 04:26

• Advocacy priorities are iteratively updated as a group, with approval at the board level.
• Some topics are “evergreen” and remain year after year due to their ongoing importance.
  • “Some of those topics are evergreen ... it's the same thing that we do every year because they're important every year.” – Chris Smith [03:41]

4. Perseverance in Advocacy: Wins Despite Frustration

Timestamps: 05:20 – 06:50

• Discusses the grind of persistent advocacy, especially when changes occur slowly.
• Example: Repeal of the windfall provision after many years—a significant win for public education employees.
  • “Evergreen Adams yeah, you kind of wish they could go away because the progress. But you see it every year and you just get used to it. It's part of our job.” – Chris Smith [05:20]
  • On a long-fought legislative win: “And finally it got checked off. And what a good thing for the employees in public education across the country.” – Chris Smith [06:20]

5. Top Federal Issues to Watch

Timestamps: 07:00 – 09:09

• Most significant: Federal funding levels—recently were spared anticipated cuts, which Smith calls “a win.”
• Importance of proactive communication with legislators and staying informed via ASBO resources.
  • “Just use the tools that ASBO offers to enable you to follow what's going on.” – Chris Smith [08:35]

6. The Power of Practitioner Stories

Timestamps: 09:37 – 10:25

• Directly communicating district-level impacts to legislators (job losses, funding implications) creates “light bulb” moments and makes abstract policy real.
  • “We were able to tell ... exactly what those cuts were going to do in their particular districts. And I think that's where ... the light bulb went on.” – Chris Smith [09:37]

7. Translating Federal Policy to Local Impact

Timestamps: 10:53 – 13:10

• Example: New federal food pyramid rules—practitioners notice changes (like milk types allowed) and must adapt before state agencies provide further detail.

  • “It's gonna take them a while to shift gears to be able to provide that product to our districts ... That was announced in January of this year.” – Chris Smith [11:59]

• On regulatory conflict: When federal and state procurement rules conflict, Texas districts take the more conservative approach.

8. Misunderstandings & Diversity Across Districts

Timestamps: 14:14 – 15:57

• Federal policymakers sometimes don’t grasp that “one size fits all” doesn’t apply—major differences exist even within Texas, let alone nationally.
  • “They probably think that ... what's good for one district is good for another. And that may or may not be true.” – Chris Smith [14:32]
  • Smith shares how advocacy work exposes him to vastly different district realities (e.g., tribal vs. suburban reliance on federal funds).

9. Navigating Competing Interests

Timestamps: 16:21 – 17:38

• Not every issue affects every district, but support for broader good is vital.
  • “You got to learn when to hold your ground and when to just say, hey ... it's good for the majority ... so I'm going to support it. Can't win all the time.” – Chris Smith [16:21]

10. Challenges of Effective Advocacy

Timestamps: 19:01 – 21:42

• Hardest part is staying up-to-date on issues outside one’s direct experience.
• Encourages advocates to realize they still have more expertise than most policymakers, boosting confidence.
  • “They know a lot more about it than the people that they’re talking about it with. Odds are.” – Chris Smith [20:22]
  • “I don’t have to be an expert in all areas. And once people understand that ... they're going to be better advocates and a lot more comfortable doing it.” – Chris Smith [21:16]

Texas-Specific Realities & Challenges

11. Fixed Income & Political Headwinds

Timestamps: 22:39 – 23:45

• Texas school districts have been “essentially on a fixed income since 2019,” navigating COVID and inflation without revenue increases.
• Legislative climate is unfavorable toward public education, with school funding as the state’s largest budget line item generating scrutiny.

12. The Voucher Debate (“School Choice”)

Timestamps: 23:57 – 25:06

• Vouchers/ESAs passed in Texas for the 2026–27 school year, leading to apprehension about public education’s future funding.
  • “That's been the primary focus in Texas for ... many years now is the passing of, let's just call it vouchers ... And now I'm hoping that the tide will turn and they start looking a little bit more favorable, as they should.” – Chris Smith [23:57]
  • Proud of public school performance despite chronic underfunding.

13. Impact of Funding Formulas and Legislative Priorities

Timestamps: 25:16 – 28:15

• Pressure to demonstrate spending impact—public education’s “visible” impact vs. infrastructure like roads.
  • Noted story about inviting an official to graduations as tangible outcome of spending.
• Ongoing struggle to constrain budgets without affecting classroom results—has avoided instructional cuts “by and large,” but warns that limits are being reached.
• Voucher law implementation uncertain, with all available slots applied for by February 2026.

14. Enrollment Trends, Demographics, and Workforce

Timestamps: 29:38 – 35:58

• Katy ISD: Historically, Texas’s fastest-growing district (from 40,000 to nearly 100,000 students in 22 years).

• First time in decades, enrollment is flat or declining—mirroring national trends—and contributing factors include school choice, micro schools, rising interest rates (slowing turnover of family homes), and increased homeschooling, especially among bilingual/ESL populations.

  • “We had a dip of about 900 students ... for the first time in probably my lifetime, this district did not grow.” – Chris Smith [29:52]

• Staffing adjustments made via attrition, no layoffs; challenge of “right-sizing” workforce during demographic shift while also building new schools in still-growing areas.

• Legislative raises provided directly to teachers, possibly delaying some retirements, but Smith gives a humorous example:

  • “My wife ... retired after two years and I'm like, honey, you know, if you work a few more years, that raise ... is going to go to our retirement ... She didn’t care.” – Chris Smith [35:54]

Advocacy: Tips, Measurement, and Optimism

15. Advice for Engaging in Advocacy

Timestamps: 36:02 – 37:21

• Stay in the habit of following news, resources, and ASBO tools; familiarity breeds confidence.
  • “If it becomes a habit ... it makes it, I don’t want to say a fun part of the job, but a part of the job that’s not intimidating by all means.” – Chris Smith [36:21]

16. Measuring Success in Advocacy

Timestamp: 37:30

• Long-term consistency is key—expect short-term wins/losses and long-term progress/setbacks.
  • “The best way to measure it is the consistency over time. And hopefully that over time ends up being a good thing for educators and students across the country.” – Chris Smith [37:30]

17. Closing: Optimism for Public Education

Timestamps: 38:14 – End

• Belief in public education as the best path for most children, producing well-rounded, diverse, and capable contributors to society.
  • “Even though right now for some reason public education is not in favor, it’s going to be again ... Public education is the best place for kids to be well rounded ... I will take that to my grave.” – Chris Smith [38:14]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the value of persistence in advocacy:
  “Had you just kind of given up on [the windfall provision] maybe three years ago, you potentially wouldn’t have seen that change, which to your point, is a great benefit to employees.” – John Brucato [06:34]

• On diversity of district realities:
  “It's rewarding in a way to be able to know that we're all kind of juggling the balls, juggling the same kind of balls. They're just ... different colors, I guess.” – Chris Smith [14:32]

• On intimidation and growth as an advocate:
  “It's a little intimidating to go in and advocate for certain subjects ... but ... you know a lot more about it than the people that you’re talking about it with.” – Chris Smith [20:22]

• On what makes him optimistic:
  “The kids in our schools are going to be your future heart surgeon or my grandchild’s pediatrician ... Public education is the best place for kids to be well-rounded.” – Chris Smith [38:14]

Key Takeaways

• Federal advocacy is a long game, requiring patience, persistence, and mutual support.
• Local stories and data are powerful tools when communicating with policymakers.
• “One size fits all” policies rarely reflect the complexity of American districts.
• Texas faces specific pressures: stagnant funding, political headwinds, controversial vouchers, and changing demographics.
• School business officials can and should be confident advocates, even on issues outside their direct expertise.
• Consistency and commitment—in advocacy and in adapting to local realities—build long-term success and optimism for public education’s future.

For those in school business leadership, this episode offers a candid, practical look at how national policy and local realities intersect—illustrating the vital advocacy role business officials play both in Texas and across the United States.