
School BUSRide spoke with Keith Henry, CDPT. Henry is a retired school transportation director who now serves as the executive director of the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation (MOAPT). He is a former NAPT president and a current member of the NAPT Foundation Board, and was elected to be the new NAPT Foundation president this year. He is the current Certification Committee co-chair, serves on the National Congress on School Transportation (NCST) Steering Committee, and is the NCST coordinator for School Transportation Security & Emergency Preparedness.

Please tell us about your background in pupil transportation.
I started in 1994 when I became director of a small school district and progressively worked my way up until I joined the Lee’s Summit School District. I’ve had a very diverse path, from St. Louis to Kansas City and in between. It’s been very rewarding, and I’ve loved it. I’ve served on lots of committees.
I’ll start with my state association—the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation (MOAPT)—where I’ve worked with many committees and positions, from the school bus safety competition to president. I currently work on the Missouri School Bus Task Force. As the executive director, I’m also involved in several other areas, such as driver trainer certification.
I got involved with the NAPT in 1996, starting off with the Professional Development Committee. I really enjoyed that opportunity and working with the PDS group. I joined the NAPT Board and became association president, serving for four years.
I came in as president-elect with Don Carnahan, and when he passed away, I became president. Now I’m on the Foundation Board, where I get to continue working with professional development, supporting the NAPT board, working with the conference, and doing anything we can to support the membership.
What are the top student transportation issues in Missouri today?
The biggest issue is a severe driver shortage. That’s a tremendous problem in the state of Missouri. Missouri also strongly emphasizes local control, so many state regulations rely on the local school districts to decide what’s appropriate regarding everything from physical standards to training standards.
Based on those factors, we took a step back to examine what we have as a state and how we can improve. One of the key areas we identified was the driver trainer role. High-quality driver trainers can assist in alleviating the driver shortage. They’re good people who know how to work with individuals and adapt to different learning styles.
We also wanted to address image. The media often focuses on the negatives about school bus drivers rather than the positives, so we aimed to improve that perception. The driver trainer role came up again as part of this effort because we wanted to create a culture of expectations. Driver trainers are part of the leadership team and can assist in student transportation outside of just training. In Missouri, driver trainers often work in the office, help with routing, and participate in IEP meetings.
We realized there’s no formal training format for many of these responsibilities; it’s mostly on-the-job training. With high turnover in the industry since the pandemic, the people who used to provide that training have often retired. We’re capitalizing on our veteran staff and separating required practices from best practices while explaining why the latter are valuable. For example, best practices aren’t required but can improve the environment and outcomes for kids.
The partnership with NAPT plays a key role in this effort because they’ve already done a lot of work that we can build on. Using their resources also allows individuals to pursue national certification, giving our field workers formal training and a deeper understanding of the role of a school bus driver in real-world settings.
How does the Missouri Association for Pupil Transportation collaborate with NAPT?
We see NAPT as a collaborator, not a competitor. They complement us, and we complement them. Together, we can achieve much more to benefit both organizations. Our board strongly supports this collaboration because NAPT brings relevance and additional resources to the table.
One way we’ve partnered is through membership. In Missouri, it’s sometimes difficult for districts to convince superintendents to approve separate payments for MOAPT and NAPT memberships. We combined these into a single registration, so members can join both organizations with one payment. This approach has been very successful. Last year, over 70 people participated, and we hope for even more next year. This bolsters membership in both organizations and provides additional professional development opportunities that MOAPT doesn’t offer, such as webinars and courses.
We also collaborated with NAPT on our driver trainer certification program. Previously, this training was hosted by a local university, but we wanted to make it more relevant, modern, and flexible. We divided the program into three phases. The first phase uses NAPT’s professional development series for online coursework, allowing participants to complete it at their own pace. The second phase involves webinars, offering flexibility for participants to choose from multiple sessions. The final phase is in-person training, spread across the state to minimize travel.
Our goal is to elevate the status of pupil transportation. We want to move away from outdated perceptions, such as calling facilities “bus barns.” We’re not barns; we’re transportation centers with advanced technology and highly skilled technicians. The field has evolved significantly in the last 5 to 10 years, and we’re working to reflect that.
We’re also focusing on leadership development. Many smaller districts promote homegrown talent, often drivers who become directors or supervisors. We want to provide opportunities for these individuals to develop their leadership skills. Strong leadership is essential for effective operations and advocacy, whether it’s budgeting, IEP processes, or other planning efforts. NAPT’s leadership academies have been invaluable in this area. We hosted one recently that attracted over 70 participants from across the country, sparking great conversations and collaboration.
Please tell us about the NAPT Foundation’s agenda and priorities.
One of my main goals is to foster strong collaboration with the NAPT Board. They represent the membership, while the Foundation focuses on development. We need their guidance to ensure we’re moving in the right direction.
We’re working hard to update the professional development series (PDS) and certification models to make them more relevant and clear. We’re also expanding the number of instructors, reducing barriers to entry, and recognizing subject matter experts. More regional instructors mean lower costs and greater accessibility for states.
How do you think the NAPT can collaborate with state associations to improve the pupil transportation industry?
NAPT offers many opportunities, and I’m excited about the potential for deeper collaboration. For example, a mentorship program could provide valuable guidance, and NAPT’s technology resources could support state-level initiatives. Even if there are costs involved, this could save time and enhance efficiency for volunteer-driven state associations like ours.
Joint certifications, like our MOAPT-NAPT trainer certification, add value by maintaining standards and offering CEUs. These efforts benefit everyone, from state associations to individual members. With leaders like Molly, Jenna, Angela, and others driving these initiatives, I’m confident we’re moving in a positive direction.