Drabing to retire after almost four decades in education
Auto Collision teacher Jeff Wilson talks to principal Lisa Drabing during flex hour on March 25. Drabing announced to the staff earlier that day that she would be retiring when the school year ended.
March 29, 2021
After 39 years as an educator and administrator in Humble ISD, principal Lisa Drabing announced that she will retire at the end of this school year. Drabing started working at what was known as the Kingwood 9th grade campus in 2000 as an associate principal.
She was involved in all the planning, creating and developing that turned Kingwood 9th grade campus into Kingwood Park High School, where she started as an associate principal and became the head principal in 2012. It’s hard to really walk away from a job that you love so much. It’s difficult. It’s meant everything to me. I think I’ve devoted and given everything I possibly can to this school, but it has given so much back to me as well. — principal Lisa Drabing
Her proudest memory is still the day they opened the doors to Kingwood Park for the very first time.
“When we opened those doors those doors opened so many opportunities to all of our kids, and you see it everyday,” Drabing said.
Drabing’s goal as a principal these past eight years has been to make her school a place where students want to be, where they were welcomed and cared for. She wanted students to feel connected to something, whether it was a specific adult or a program they were involved in.
“I hope that when kids left here that they felt like they had a good high school experience, that they were prepared academically, that they had fun and that we launched them into their next phase of life to be successful,” Drabing said.
Drabing said she made it a priority to be visible, attend events and give 1,000 percent to the school, and she wanted to retire knowing that she did all of that every year she worked.
“I’ve been blessed to be a part of something great,” Drabing said. “It’s hard to really walk away from a job that you love so much. It’s difficult. It’s meant everything to me. I think I’ve devoted and given everything I possibly can to this school, but it has given so much back to me as well.”
Drabing’s retirement will be in effect at the end of this school year. Her replacement will be decided by the superintendent, assistant superintendent and the deputy superintendent. Her wish for the new principal is that they leave Kingwood Park better than they found it.
Assistant superintendent Trey Kraemer said the void will not be easy to fill.
“Ms. Drabing is the perfect example of what a great leader should look like,” he said. “She has a servant’s heart. She is dedicated, loyal and an extremely hard worker.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with her as she has developed an incredibly positive and very successful culture and climate at Kingwood Park for her staff, students, parents and community. Humble ISD has been blessed to have her spend her entire career with us.”
