A Legacy of Service and Safety: NAPT President and Pearland ISD Transportation Director Keith Kaup to Retire

After a distinguished 31-year career dedicated to the safety and support of Texas students, Keith Kaup, Pearland ISD Director of Transportation and current President of the National Association for Pupil Transportation has announced his retirement. A lifelong Pearland resident, Kaup concludes a remarkable journey that saw him rise from a substitute bus driver to a national leader in student transit.

What began in 1995 as a college job search led Kaup to the driver’s seat at Friendswood ISD. Originally intending to become a high school math teacher, he found a different kind of classroom behind the wheel of a school bus. This spark moment revealed a passion for the transportation industry that fueled a three-decade trajectory through various leadership roles across the region.

Kaup’s career is defined by a steady climb through the operational ranks. Following his start as a substitute driver, he was promoted to Lead Driver in 1999 and Department Secretary in 2000 at Friendswood ISD. His leadership expanded as he served as the Transportation Operations Manager for Alvin ISD from 2001 to 2002, before joining Pearland ISD for the first time as Assistant Director of Transportation from 2002 to 2004. Kaup then spent over a decade in Sheldon ISD serving as Director of Transportation from 2004 to 2012 and later as Director of Support Services until 2015. Kaup eventually returned home to Pearland in 2019 to lead the department where he had previously served as an assistant director.

Beyond the borders of Pearland, he has been a titan in professional advocacy. He served as President of the Gulf Coast Association for Pupil Transportation and the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation. Last year, he represented the industry as a delegate to the National Congress on School Transportation and currently serves as the President of the National Association for Pupil Transportation for the 2025-2027 term.

In Pearland, Kaup witnessed a period of massive growth. Since 2002, the district has expanded from roughly 100 buses and 11,000 students to a fleet of 200 buses serving more than 20,000 students. Despite the administrative scale, he remained famously "hands-on," often checking road conditions before sunrise and driving routes personally to ensure every student reached school safely.

Perhaps his most significant contribution to the department's efficiency is the implementation of an in-house "one-stop shop" for driver licensing. By partnering with the Texas DPS, the department now manages the entire pipeline from permit testing and behind-the-wheel training to the final CDL road test ensuring that Pearland ISD can recruit and retain high-quality staff in a competitive market.

"Our students are the only reason why our jobs exist," Kaup said. "I’ve always tried to remind our team that they might be the only positive light in a child’s life on any given day. It’s a responsibility we must never lose sight of."

As Kaup prepares for retirement, he looks forward to spending more time with family and following a path of service where faith leads. He leaves behind a department that is not just a fleet of vehicles, but a community of professionals who serve from the heart.