Round Rock ISD is getting into the second-chance business, rolling out a voluntary First Offender program that aims to steer students away from juvenile court and keep them in the classroom instead. The new diversion track, presented to trustees last Thursday, zeroes in on vaping and THC-related incidents and offers eligible students a chance to clear a juvenile arrest record if they follow through on the program. District officials say the plan connects school discipline, counseling and short-term accountability so mistakes land kids in structured support, not a courtroom.
How the program would work
According to a presentation posted on the district’s BoardDocs, the First Offender program would be voluntary and reserved for first-time offenses or conduct that signals a need for supervision. Getting in would require consent from both the student and a parent or guardian. Once enrolled, students would complete educational modules, reflective writing assignments, and regular check-ins with a coordinator or officer, followed by a 90-day intervention period and a one-year probationary window after successful completion.
The district materials note that completing the program can lead to erasure of the juvenile arrest record, while failing to finish could send the original charge right back into the formal system to be filed.
Who qualifies
RRISD Police Chief Ryan Urrutia told the board the program will primarily serve students ages 10 to 16, with Williamson County Juvenile Services able to extend participation to 17- and 18-year-olds, according to Community Impact. Urrutia described the setup as “not a court proceeding,” stressing that it can spare families attorney costs while aiming to cut repeat offenses through education and structure.
State law and county role
First-offender programs are allowed under Texas law, specifically Texas Family Code Section 52.031, which lets juvenile boards create diversion options instead of sending every qualifying case to court. The district presentation says Williamson County Juvenile Services would handle classroom and substance-misuse programming, including the START half-day class, and would help verify whether a student has met all program requirements…