HUTTO, Texas — Hutto ISD has launched a new First Offender Program (FOP) aimed at addressing vaping incidents on campus. The initiative, in partnership with Williamson County Juvenile Services, provides students with an opportunity to avoid criminal charges through education, mentorship and structured intervention.  

Under the program, students caught vaping or possessing nicotine or THC products can participate in a structured intervention rather than facing immediate legal consequences. The program includes an online educational component, a written reflection and weekly mentorship meetings with an officer.

According to district officials, the level of intervention depends on the offense. Nicotine-related violations involve a 60-day in-school suspension, while THC-related offenses require placement in the district’s Alternative Education Program for 90 days. Additionally, students and parents involved in THC-related cases must attend two educational sessions with Williamson County Juvenile Services.  

Students are required to undergo drug testing at both the midpoint and end of the program. Upon completion, participants remain on probation for one year. Any repeat offenses during that period result in both the original and new infractions being reported.

“This program catches kids where they are in the school. It provides them support where they are every day, [and] educates them on the dangers of using vape pens,” said Brooke Hall, Williamson County Juvenile Services’ director of Court & Field Services. “And [it] gives them an opportunity to build a skillset where they can make a different choice. And it catches it early on instead of pushing them into the criminal justice system.”

Hutto ISD Police Chief William Edwards said the initiative comes in response to vaping-related incidents within the district. Last year, Edwards said the Hutto ISD Police Department investigated about 300 criminal incident reports, more than half of which involved vapes.  

“The main thing that the FOP, or the First Time Offender Program, gives us is the ability to look at the root cause, as far as the decisions that our youth are making and trying to educate them as far as better choices, instead of looking at it as a criminal penalty or punishing them for it,” Edwards said. “[Instead the focus] is to correct the behavior for a healthier lifestyle.”

According to Hutto ISD, the program leverages services that already exist within the juvenile justice system, creating minimal fiscal impact for the district.

Edwards said the district already has students in the program for nicotine and THC offenses and plans to continue monitoring their progress throughout the summer.