ALABAMA: private schools
- Briarwood Christian School, Birmingham [PDF]
Disciplinary action at this school is divided into four categories: mild, moderate, serious, very serious. "Spanking" (no details offered), in the moderate category, is clearly the standard punishment (including at the High School, grades 7-12) once milder methods have failed and also "if the matter warrants an immediate spanking". Spankings "can and will be administered by classroom teachers", but not in the presence of other students.
Parents must sign on the school application form [PDF] that they agree that the school "has full discretion in the discipline of students while at the School, including paddling". See also the "School philosophy" page, which says "We believe the Bible teaches the use of corporal punishment in the discipline of young people. We instruct our staff to use the paddle whenever necessary".
Unlike many private schools, this one is quite big: total enrollment is nearly 1,000. As the reader who drew it to my attention says, "My hunch is there are a lot of spankings doled out at this place".
ALABAMA: public schools
- Alexander City Schools [PDF]
Corporal punishment, consisting of a maximum of "three licks administered to a student's buttocks", is described as a last resort prior to "expulsion", a word evidently used here to mean what most schools call suspension, since it is possible to be expelled for only one day or for the rest of the semester. "No student is required to submit" to the paddle, so it is always at the student's choice. The parent may request an alternative punishment, but if this is tried and doesn't work, the principal will use CP even without parental consent. (Read in conjunction with the "no student required to submit" provision, this must mean that a student may choose to be paddled in defiance of parental instructions. I think this is eminently sensible, at any rate for secondary-level students, but one very rarely sees it written down.)
There are various rules about privacy, prior warnings, due process, etc. Most unusually, two different paddles are specified, "to be made from a general and smooth wood product", complete with detailed measurements, one for grades K-6 (7½" by 3½", ¼" thick) and a larger one for grades 7-12 (13" by 5", 3/8 inches thick), the handle in both cases to be 4 inches long. Furthermore, special education students may be paddled provided the misbehavior is not related to the student's disability (this seems to be an Alabama-wide provision).
See also this Feb 2003 news item, which notes that 35% of Alexander City Middle School's students were paddled in the 2001-02 school year. A school board spokesman was quoted as saying that students may request a paddling instead of suspension (not expulsion). CP was said not to be used at the district's only high school (Benjamin Russell), despite the details of a paddle for that age group being specified in the regulations.
- Anniston City Schools [RTF] (Alternative link)
This school system voted in July 2004 to abolish CP, but reversed itself a week later -- see this August 2004 news item -- after teachers protested. The paddling policy was later reaffirmed (see this December 2004 news item). The code of conduct linked to above is an archived version dating from before all this happened, since the school board's current website contains no policy or handbook information at all. It says that CP may be used even for a first violation of the rules, but gives few other details.
The High School handbook states that only the Principal or Vice Principal may deliver the spanking; it is generally used when other methods have failed, and parents may request in writing that it not be used.
- Athens City Board of Education [PDF]
CP here is to be a "last resort", although class teachers may use it "in cases of great urgency". Two staff members must be present; other students must not be. It may be used for minor and intermediate offenses but not major ones. There is nothing about parental involvement or the detailed modus operandi.
See also this May 2005 news item.
- Baldwin County Public Schools [PDF] (covers Bay Minette, Bon Secour, Daphne, Elberta, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Perdido, Robertsdale, Silverhill, Spanish Fort, Stapleton, Stockton, Summerdale)
CP may be used when other measures have proved ineffective. The spanking is to be delivered with a paddle "or facsimile thereof" to the buttocks. Rules about witnesses and privacy, but no mention of a maximum number of licks.
The handbooks for Daphne Middle, Fairhope Elementary and Fairhope High add nothing to the pan-district policy.
At Elberta Elementary, CP (no details given) is used for Level II and Level III offenses which are dealt with in the office.
The handbooks for Robertsdale Elementary and Silverhill Elementary (similar wording at both) say that parents wishing non-use of paddling must so inform the principal on their own initiative.
At Rockwell Elementary, fighting or acts of violence will result in CP or suspension. Parent requests for non-use of CP must be submitted in writing by the end of the child's first week at the school.
- Blount County School System - Board of Education Policies (covers Blountsville, Cleveland, Hayden, Locust Fork, Oneonta) [PDF]
- Blount County School System - Classifications of Violations and Sanctions
Around 1,765 students (some 22% of the total) were paddled in this district in school year 2004-05, according to federal estimates.
Corporal punishment must not cause bodily injury or be administered with malice. Typical rules at district level about privacy, witnesses and documentation, but nothing about parental consultation or approval. The pan-district handbook adds that CP is one of the penalties for Class I and Class II offenses, but not for Class III or Class IV (the most serious).
Some of the individual schools have their own separate handbook in addition. Of these, Locust Fork HS particularly mentions CP as a likely consequence of failure to attend detention.
At Susan Moore HS (whose handbook committee includes student representatives), students have the right to choose suspension or Saturday school as an alternative to paddling. CP is specifically mentioned as a possible consequence for a second dress code offense, such as wearing shorts shorter than 4 inches above the knee.
At Susan Moore Elementary, CP "will be used as deemed necessary by the teacher and/or administrator", but the handbook is at pains to point out that this is "only one of the means used to deter inappropriate behavior".
- Brewton City Schools [DOC]
Corporal punishment shall be administered by the principal or assistant principal. There are rules about witnesses, privacy, and documentation. Parents may now make a written request that CP not be used. It is no longer stated that paddling should not be a first resort. The separate code of conduct states that CP may be deployed for type I or II violations, but not for type III or IV violations (the most serious).
- Butler County Schools (covers Georgiana, Greenville, McKenzie) [PDF]
In a change of wording here, CP is to be used only when other methods have failed. The punishment is now to be delivered with "a Board-issued paddle" and there is a new maximum of three licks. The witness must now be an "administrator" and not just any certified employee. An attempt is to be made to telephone parents before the paddling takes place. The acknowledgement form at the end of the document, which the student him- or herself must also sign, no longer includes provision for the parents to state that they either do or do not give permission for paddling. The rules about due process, witnesses and documentation are more detailed than in the previous version.
As before, paddling is an option at middle and high school, but not elementary school, for a first Class II offense. For a first or subsequent Class III (more serious) offense, CP may be applied at all age levels.
See also this Aug 2005 news item in which the principal of W.O. Parmer Elementary, in Greenville, implies that 39 out of 52 incidents of defiance in school year 2004-05 were dealt with by paddling and the other 13 resulted in suspensions because of parental objections to CP.
And see this May 2007 news item, reporting on a change of policy so that ordinary teachers, and no longer just administrators, may spank students.
- Calhoun County Schools (covers Alexandria, Anniston, Jacksonville, Ohatchee, Weaver) [DOC]
The federal statistics estimate that some 1,140 students, or 13% of the total, were officially spanked here in 2004-05.
Corporal punishment shall consist of no more than three swats on the buttocks with a paddle free of holes or cracks. The implement must be provided by the Board's maintenance department. Typical rules about privacy, witnesses and documentation. Parents are informed after the event.
CP may be used for a second or third minor violation, and for a first through fifth intermediate violation. These are "administrative options", which I take to mean that the student does not get to choose the punishment. Paddling is not indicated for major violations.
Alexandria Elementary merely mentions that CP (no further details provided) is a possible consequence of misbehavior.
The link for White Plains High is to the page of the Spanish teacher, Ms White, who says that she may use CP in her class.
- Clarke County Schools (covers Coffeeville, Grove Hill, Jackson)
Here, corporal punishment (no details provided) is available for Class I and II offenses (i.e. everything except the most serious). The Student Discipline Report which must be filled out has a space for "number of licks".
Gillmore Elementary specifies that CP (max. 3 licks on the buttocks) should follow "specific failures of other corrective measures to improve student behavior". It should be done out of the view of other students, and not in anger. The instrument used should be "wisely selected", and the spanking delivered either by, or in the presence of, the principal or assistant principal. CP will be administered "without delay" even if the student maintains innocence.
At Jackson Intermediate School, a paddling will be meted out (under same rules as at Gillmore, max. 3 licks) on a third visit to the office, if the parent has granted permission for it. If not, the student is sent to Alternative School and the parent must attend a conference. Here is the form on which parents may give permission.
At Jackson Middle, CP appears to be on a par with detention in terms of seriousness.
See also this June 2003 news item about the paddling of a 12-year-old girl at Jackson Middle School, resulting in bruised buttocks, and this Feb 2005 news item. In an April 2005 follow-up report (not on line), it was stated that the board had reaffirmed the policy of corporal punishment.
- Covington County Board of Education (covers Andalusia, Florala, Red Level) [DOC]
Click on "Board Policy" and then, in the resulting zip file, on "Board Policies.doc". CP is an "extreme measure" for preserving order, and is defined, with alarming vagueness, as "striking a child with any object including the bare hand". Another certified employee must witness the punishment. No fewer than four copies of the official form must be filled out in every case.
Florala High's handbook states that CP may be used for a first "Class I" (minor) or "Class II" (intermediate) violation; parents wishing to forbid the use of CP must request a conference with the principal each year.
At Red Level, any teacher has the authority and responsibility to correct any student at any time, anywhere on campus. Corporal punishment is generally for class I (minor) offenses. For a first such offense the penalty is 2 periods of in-school suspension or 2 licks. A second offense brings 3 periods of in-school suspension or 3 licks. When CP is administered, parents will be notified by mail. If there are subsequent offenses, CP is apparently not used.
See also the section on misbehavior on the school bus. On a first referral by the driver, "the student is to receive corporal punishment or assignment to the school alternative program". Any parent who forbids CP of his or her child is to request a conference with the principal.
- Cullman County Schools (covers Baileyton, Bremen, Cullman, Garden City, Hanceville)
The school district policy is not currently on line; it said that CP was available for Class I and Class II offenses, but not for Class III (the most serious). A decision to administer corporal punishment "should not be arrived at too hastily". Rules about privacy, professional witnesses and record-keeping.
Parkside School (K-8) and West Point High merely mention that CP is a possible consequence for breaking the rules.
At the Career Center is it made clear that students get no say in the matter: "When you get into trouble, we check your record before we decide which consequences you will face. You make the choices, but you do not choose the consequences." Corporal punishment is one of them, but no details are provided.
- Dale County Schools (covers Ariton, Midland City, Newton, Pinckard, Skipperville)
Corporal punishment may be used here to deal with Class I and Class II violations, but not Class III (the most serious). It is also specifically mentioned as a consequence for a second dress code violation.
See also this Feb 2007 news item, which quotes Dale County's superintendent as saying that CP is an attractive disciplinary tool: students are paddled in the hallway and do not waste their precious class time in the office or on suspension.
- Dallas County Schools (covers Orrville, Plantersville, Selma) [PDF]
This is not of course the famous Dallas (which is in Texas). Corporal punishment must not "produce undue injury". It should be a last resort. If the principal or designee decides on CP, "the affected student shall be given an option to accept corporal punishment, or in lieu of accepting corporal punishment, the student shall be entitled to accept a three (3) day suspension from school." There is a maximum of three "strikes" per day. "A suitable instrument for the administration of corporal punishment shall be selected by each Principal."
- Dekalb County Schools (covers Collinsville, Crossville, part of Fort Payne, Fyffe, Geraldine, Henagar, Ider, Mentone, Rainsville, Sylvania, Valley Head)
This district's policies and handbooks do not seem to be on line. Federal statistics indicate that around 910 students (11% of the total) took a formal spanking here in academic year 2004-05.
The document for Henagar (a K-8 school) is the 2006-07 School Improvement Plan, which notes that 131 of the 138 discipline referrals were dealt with by corporal punishment.
The Moon Lake link is also to its 2006-07 School Improvement Plan, according to which 5% of all students were referred at least twice for CP.
- Dothan City Schools
Corporal punishment is defined, a tad loosely one might think, as "paddling or spanking with the hand or other object", and may only follow a written disciplinary referral. It must be given in private and approved by the principal or assistant principal. In the secondary schools it is available for relatively minor offenses (Class I) when committed for a second or subsequent time; in the elementary schools it may also be used for the first such offense. More serious (Class II and III) crimes, whether on a first or subsequent occasion, also are punishable with CP at elementary level, but not in the secondary schools.
At the P.A.S.S. Academy, a sort of "sin bin", the same rules apply as in either the elementary or secondary schools, depending on the student's age.
See also this Feb 2007 news item, which reports that there were 450 paddlings in Dothan City in 2005.
- Elmore County Public Schools [DOC] (covers Deatsville, Eclectic, Millbrook, Wetumpka)
An administrator or designee may administer CP, rather vaguely defined here as "reasonable use of physical force or physical contact". Alternative methods should be tried first, and the student must have been warned previously that CP could result. Unusual due process requirement: before being spanked, the student not only has the opportunity to state his or her case but may present witnesses in his or her defense.
- Enterprise City Schools, Enterprise
US Department of Education statistics record that about 1,600 students underwent a paddling in this district in 2004-05, or roughly 29% of the total student population.
CP is used "when it is deemed beneficial that the student involved be allowed to return to a class or in other cases where it serves the best interests of the student". It may not be used where the student's presence is dangerous or detrimental, or in drug or alcohol cases, or (for some reason) where damage to property is involved. CP must be approved in each case by, and witnessed by, the principal or his designee, but there is no parental consultation: "The school does not seek permission of parents before disciplining". If a student is to be exempt from paddling, the parent must submit a written statement to that effect each year, and in that event a student who would normally be paddled is instead suspended. There are no details of the modus operandi for paddling.
This pan-district handbook is for the elementary schools, but its provisions evidently apply also to the Junior High schools; it's not clear whether there is also CP at the only senior High School, whose handbook seems not to be available.
Coppinville mentions CP (no details given) only in relation to repeated dress code violations.
At Dauphin Junior High, students are offered a choice between being spanked (2 licks) and 2 hours' detention for a fourth unexcused tardy within one semester. On the fifth unexcused tardy, and also for a second (but not first or third) offense of using a cell phone, the student may opt for either 3 licks or 3 hours' detention. CP (no number of strokes specified) may also used for disrespect, smoking, sexual harassment, misbehavior on the bus, gambling, and possession of obscene literature, among other things; in these cases it is not made clear whether the student gets any say in the mode of punishment.
This Aug 2006 news item makes clear that the use of CP for cell phone use is new, and in fact applies at all the schools in the district, though so far only Dauphin appears to mention it on line.
- Fort Payne City Schools [PDF]
This district's school handbooks do not seem to be on line. The document linked here is the Student Discipline Report for year 2005-06, which shows that there were about 1,000 paddlings in the area's four schools, and breaks them down by school and by offense.
See also this June 2007 news item, reporting on a change to the district's policy making it clear that no student is exempt from corporal punishment, except where so stated in the individual plan of a special needs student.
- Geneva City Schools
This document is for the school's 10th-12th grade Business/Marketing program. Students for this course are told that a second offense of failure to adhere to the classroom rules (e.g. tardy to class, brushing hair during lesson) will result in corporal punishment. This comes after "verbal warning" but before contact with parents and referral to the office.
- Hartselle City Schools
This is the "Behavior contract" for Mrs Hill's class. Those who choose to break her classroom rules for the third time will receive corporal punishment or ISS.
See also this Dec 2006 news item reporting that there were 37 paddlings in the district in the 2005-06 academic year.
- Houston County Schools (covers Ashford, Columbia, Cottonwood, Newton, Webb, and addresses in Dothan that are not in Dothan City district)
This district has a Code of Conduct, but it seems not to be on line.
The handbook for Rehobeth Middle announces that "corporal punishment is used as a means of discipline"; indeed, it seems to be the only form of discipline mentioned. Parents who do not want their student spanked must visit the office personally each year to fill out a "Denial of Corporal Punishment" form.
The document for Wicksburg gives Mr Clayson's class rules. A student who breaks them for the third time will either receive CP or be referred to the office.
See also this Feb 2007 news item, which reports that there were 535 paddlings in Houston County in 2005, and describes the paddling process used at Cottonwood High School.
- Huntsville City Schools, Huntsville
Chapman ES says that corporal punishment is allowed by the local school board, but there is no mention of it in the 2007-08 pan-district student handbook [PDF]. Anyway, "we do not as a rule use paddling at our school". However, according to this March 2003 news item, there were six paddlings at Chapman between August and December 2002.
- Jackson County Schools (covers Bridgeport, Bryant, Dutton, Flat Rock, Higdon, Hollywood, Pisgah, Princeton, Section, Stevenson, Woodville)
In this school district -- where, federal statistics estimate, 850 students received a paddling in 2004-05 -- CP (no details provided) is available for all three levels of violations. It is also specified as a consequence for a second (but not first or third) instance of misbehavior on the school bus.
The archived page for Flat Rock is 1st-grade teacher Nicci Black's Aug 2006 letter to parents, in which she tells them that a child whose "weekly apple" has acquired 4 disciplinary holes will be paddled (1 lick). More than 4 holes in the week brings two licks.
At North Sand Mountain (an all-through K-12 school), severe disruption in class will cause "immediate dismissal to the office for corporal punishment". And in this separate document, Coach Kirby sets out his own discipline plan, involving corporal punishment after a warning.
Pisgah High merely repeats the same information as in the district handbook.
- Jefferson County Schools (covers Adamsville, Bessemer, Brighton, Clay, Dora, Fultondale, Gardendale, Graysville, Hueytown, Irondale, Kimberly, McCalla, Morris, Mount Olive, Pinson, Pleasant Grove, Quinton, Warrior) [PDF]
Paddling on the student's buttocks may be used as a disciplinary option for a fourth and subsequent Class I (minor) offense. In the elementary grades, it may also be used for a first or second Class II (more serious) offense. Prior parental approval is not required, but parents' requests to "restrict" the use of CP shall be respected. Typical rules about privacy and witnesses.
See also this Aug 2005 news item about a mass punishment at Mortimer Jordan High School in Morris: 28 boys, offered the choice of CP or suspension for haircut violations, each opted to receive two strokes of the paddle in the principal's office from the baseball coach.
- Lauderdale County Schools (covers Anderson, Florence, Killen, Lexington, Rogersville, Waterloo)
The Rogers High handbook says that CP is available, but gives no details. Parents wishing non-use of CP must send a written request each year.
See also the page of math teacher and basketball coach Mr Childress, whose consequences for misbehavior in class include corporal punishment and also (possibly even worse, from the look of his photo, right) "severe stare down".
- Limestone County Schools (covers Ardmore, Athens, Elkmont, Harvest, Lester, Tanner) [DOC]
CP should generally be used only after other methods have failed. It is to be administered with "care, tact and caution" in the principal's office or a place designated by the principal. Either the paddler OR the witness should "wherever possible" be of the same sex as the student being punished. Usual rules about privacy and documentation. Paddling is particularly mentioned for Class I (the least serious) violations, but the sanctions for Class II and III violations include any sanction in Class I, so CP is, at least theoretically, available for all offenses.
At the back of the handbook is an "opt-out" form on which parents may state that they do not want their children to be paddled and that they accept that the alternative may be suspension.
See also, as regards Elkmont School, this May 2005 news item.
- Madison County Schools (covers Gurley, Harvest, Hazel Green, Huntsville (part), Meridianville, New Hope, New Market, Owens Cross Roads, Toney) [PDF]
CP is restricted to the use of a paddle over the buttocks. It is a possible consequence for Class I or II violations but not Class III. It must not be administered in an occupied classroom. Paddles are to be kept in the office. Parental approval is not required, but due process must be followed. In grades 7 to 12, the staff member delivering the punishment must be of the same sex as the student.
See also, in respect of paddlings at Monrovia Middle School (Huntsville) and Sparkman Middle School (Toney), this March 2003 news item.
- Montgomery Public Schools [PDF] (covers Hope Hull, Montgomery, Ramer)
CP here consists of a maximum of three swats to the buttocks using a Board-approved paddle. Parents wishing to exempt their offspring must submit a written, dated statement to that effect annually. There is a new rule that no student may be paddled more than twice in each semester.
Seth Johnson, Dannelly and Dunbar-Ramer simply state that paddling (no details provided) is one of the possible consequences of an office referral. At Dannelly, though, it's not over when the freshly-spanked student emerges from the office: he/she "will return to the classroom on a probationary status", involving sitting in isolation for up to five days. "The student must work his/her way back into the group by showing that the poor behavior in question has been eliminated."
McKee specifies that corporal punishment is the only possible consequence for a second tardy, though not for a first or third one.
More details appear in this Jan 2005 news item, which also tells us that more than 1,700 Montgomery students were paddled during the 2003-04 school year, a 9% increase over the previous year.
See also this Jan 2007 news item, which reports that 41 of Montgomery's 58 schools used CP in school year 2005-06. It also gives statistics for certain individual schools. In the district as a whole there were 1,571 paddlings (down from 1,693 in 2004-05), all but one of which were at elementary or middle/junior high school level. The one senior high school student spanked, at Lee High School, was disciplined for tobacco use.
- Morgan County Schools (covers Danville, Decatur, Eva, Falkville, Joppa, Lacey's Spring, Somerville, Trinity) [PDF] (Alternative link)
For ordinary (Class I and II) offenses, CP (no details provided) may be applied for a second or subsequent offense at elementary level, but on the first offense in secondary school. It is not mentioned in connection with major offenses (fighting, arson, robbery, etc.).
See also this Sep 2004 news item about a 6th-grade boy's public paddling at West Morgan High School in Trinity.
- Mountain Brook Board of Education (covers part of Birmingham outside Birmingham City)
Corporal punishment is a last resort. Parental permission is necessary. It shall be administered in the principal's office or a place designated by the principal, and not in the presence of other students.
- Oxford City Schools [PDF]
Corporal punishment (no details given) may be used, with parent notification, in grades K to 12 for minor offenses. It is also available for intermediate offenses in grades K to 8 but apparently not in grades 9 to 12.
At the High School, the penalty for a 4th or subsequent dress code violation is out-of-school suspension, but CP may be substituted "if appropriate".
- Pickens County Schools (covers Aliceville, Carrollton, Gordo, Reform) [DOC]
The district's policy manual is a huge document, but unusual enough to be worth the download time. Corporal punishment is used when other methods have failed.
It is made explicit that students not only may, but will, be offered a choice of punishment. "Should a student request corporal punishment, rather than an alternate form of punishment, the teacher may administer the corporal punishment under the guidelines of this policy." There is a maximum of "three licks administered to the buttocks" with an instrument that "should be wisely selected. A wooden paddle approximately 24 inches in length, 3 inches wide and ½ inch thick is recommended. Paddles with holes, cracks, splinters, tape or other foreign material shall not be used for corporal punishment". The student shall remove any objects in back pockets and/or remove outer garments before the punishment is administered. A teacher who is "not comfortable administering corporal punishment" may ask another teacher to do it. The witness should preferably be of the same sex as the student. Parents shall be given the right to exempt their children, but "should the parent fail to notify the principal, it shall be understood that the student may be corporally punished".
At Gordo High, a student with a fifth or subsequent unexcused tardy will be given the remarkably wide choice of suspension, corporal punishment, work detail, Saturday school, or after school detention. CP is also an option on the third demerit for minor offenses.
At Pickens County High, it may be used for minor offenses (except on the first offense) and for intermediate offenses (but only on the first offense).
- Pike County Board of Education (covers Brundidge, Goshen, Troy ) [PDF]
This district has rewritten the relevant provisions of its code of conduct. Corporal punishment is still available for Class I offenses on a first referral to the office (disruptive behavior, tardiness, etc.).
Previously, if the student professed innocence, the paddling was postponed until parents had been contacted, but would then go ahead unless they signed a written objection. There is no longer any reference to the student's professing innocence. Written parental objections to CP will now be honored in grades K-2 only. From the third grade onwards, written objections to CP are no longer accepted. Instead, "Parents and students should discuss this discipline option. If a decision is made not to accept corporal punishment, students are expected to advise the administrator that it is their parent's desire not to have corporal punishment used." In such cases, the student is suspended for one day followed by parent conference.
As before, there is a maximum of three licks, which must be applied to the buttocks, but there is no longer any reference to "the Board-approved paddle". Suspension or the "Alternative Learning Center" seem to be the automatic punishments for more serious offenses, as well as for repeated Class I offenses.
- Russell County Schools (covers Fort Mitchell, Hurtsboro, Opelika, Phenix City, Seale) [PDF]
For class I (the least serious) violations, corporal punishment is a possible consequence in all grades, K to 12. For class II violations (defiance, fighting, tobacco) it is mentioned only for grades K to 6. CP is to be given by the principal or designee, and should not cause abrasions or bruises. "Such punishment shall be administered under conditions that do not hold the student up to ridicule or shame and never in the presence of other students". Before the punishment takes place, the student shall be advised why he/she is being paddled and given an opportunity to explain. The witness should have had no direct involvement with the case. Parents are informed afterwards. At the bottom of the page, see the "Permission to allow corporal punishment" form, which the student himself must sign, as well as his parents.
- St Clair County School System (covers Ashville, Moody, Odenville, Ragland, Springville, Steele) [PDF]
Corporal punishment is a "last resort" for Class I and Class II violations, but is not mentioned for the more serious offenses. Rules about witnesses, privacy, documentation and informing parents. There is a maximum of three licks, to be delivered to the student's buttocks with a smooth paddle free of holes or cracks.
- Scottsboro City Schools - Minor offenses
- Scottsboro City Schools - Intermediate offenses
Under board policy, students at both elementary and secondary level may be paddled for a second or subsequent minor violation of the code of conduct. For more serious (intermediate) offenses, a secondary student may receive CP on the first violation.
At the High School, defiance of authority (including repeated dress code violations) results in 3-5 days' ISS or corporal punishment (no details provided). However, students may NOT be offered a paddling for truancy.
The link for Scottsboro Junior High is to Mr Dennis's 8th-grade science page, where he tells us that a fourth offense and upward will bring "principal's office or paddling".
- Shelby County School System (covers Chelsea, Columbiana, Montevallo, Pelham) [PDF]
Corporal punishment here is for unruly pupils after other options have been considered, only by the principal or assistant and not in the presence of other students. Written parental consent is required in advance. There is a maximum of "three spanks per paddling". An unusual stipulation is that an employee who is opposed to CP may not be required to act as witness.
- Sylacauga City Schools
Corporal punishment is used when "other procedures have failed". It is administered in private to the student's buttocks with a school-approved paddle, maximum three "licks" in any one day. Another certified teacher must serve as witness.
- Tarrant City Schools
No ifs or buts in the 5th grade discipline plan here -- "Any student who misses after school detention will receive a paddling".
- Tallapoosa County Schools (covers Camp Hill, Dadeville, New Site, Notasulga)
Parents may request exemption from CP, but the principal "shall retain the authority to accept or reject the exemption request". "Corporal punishment may be deemed necessary" for class I (minor) offenses in any grade, and also for class II (intermediate) offenses in grades K to 3. There are no details as to the modus operandi.
At Reeltown High, CP (no details offered) may be used by the principal or assistant principal, or by a teacher with a witness. The student to be punished must be given an opportunity to explain his or her actions.
See also, for Edward Bell School in Camp Hill, Horseshoe Bend School in New Site, and Dadeville High School, this June 2003 news item, which reveals inter alia that 48% of the students at Dadeville High were paddled in the 2001-02 school year.
- Tuscaloosa County Schools (covers Brookwood, Buhl, Coker, Cottondale, Duncanville, Fosters, Holt, Northport, Tuscaloosa, Vance)
CP "should follow specific failures of other corrective measures", and, to this end, "teachers should be prepared to provide information concerning alternate corrective measures used". A maximum of three licks may be administered to the student's buttocks, with an "instrument" (it is not actually specified that it must be a paddle) that must be "wisely selected". Care, tact and judgment must be exercised. Typical rules about witnesses, absence of anger, documentation, and parental notification, though nothing about parental consent. The privacy rule is more limited than in many other administrations: CP "shall not be administered in the visual presence of other students", but evidently it's OK if other students hear it -- through an open door or window, perhaps.
Special education students may be paddled, but only after the appropriate committee has been convened to determine that the student's misbehavior in that particular instance is not related to his or her handicap.
Most of the individual schools' websites don't mention punishment; Echols Middle School in Northport says merely that CP is one possible consequence of an office discipline referral.
See also, as regards Collins-Riverside Middle School in Northport, this May 2002 news item and this March 2003 follow-up.
- Walker County Schools (covers Carbon Hill, Cordova, Dora, Goodsprings, Oakman, Parrish, Sipsey, Sumiton, also addresses in Jasper that are not part of Jasper City) [DOC]
Corporal punishment is available for minor and intermediate offenses, but not major ones. It must be administered with "care, tact and caution". If parents object, they must give written notification. Students shall be accorded due process before being spanked. CP must not be given for poor grades or other academic issues. The handbook doesn't go into detail about what the CP involves.
In a commendable exercise of transparency, this school district now provides CP statistics on its website: here is a breakdown by individual school [DOC] of paddlings for school year 2004-05. The runner-up in absolute terms, but the winner in terms of the paddlings/students ratio, is Curry Middle School in Jasper, with 402 paddlings for 390 students. The winner in absolute terms is Sumiton Elementary/Junior High School, with 488 paddlings for 930 students. In the school district as a whole [DOC] CP was administered on 1,421 occasions in the year, 1,258 of them to boys (89%). (NOTE: all three of these "Word" documents seem to be a bit buggy, and are best accessed by downloading them to your hard disk in order to open them in your word-processing program.)
See also this June 2001 news item.
- These Alabama public schools or school districts also state that they use corporal punishment, but give few or no details:
Elba City Schools
Lawrence County School System [PDF] (and see this April 2006 news item)
Muscle Shoals City Schools
Vestavia Hills City Board of Education (only for grades 6 to 12)
- These Alabama public schools or school districts are also known to use corporal punishment, but did not appear to say so on line when I last checked, or are not on line at all:
Boaz High School - see this Aug 2004 news item.
Cleburne County Schools (covers Fruithurst, Heflin, Ranburne) - see this July 2005 news item stating that there were 286 paddlings at Ranburne Elementary in the latest year.
Demopolis City Schools - see this July 2001 news item and this October 2002 follow-up. (A reader has kindly sent me relevant extracts from this system's 2001 printed handbook. It says that CP -- no details provided -- may be applied for minor offenses at both elementary and secondary levels; CP is not mentioned in relation to Class II offenses upwards.)
Lamar County Schools (1,095 students paddled in 2004-05, according to federal figures).
Selma City Schools - see this Feb 2003 news item.
ARIZONA: private schools
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Emmanuel Lutheran School, Tempe
Discipline may involve "reasonable corporal punishment" administered "in a spirit of Christian love" (no other details provided).
ARIZONA: public schools
- Round Valley Unified Schools , Springerville
Both schools say the same thing. Corporal punishment is one of the "disciplinary consequences", but no details are given. If a student "withdraws from school to avoid disciplinary action" the consequences "must still be fulfilled" before any re-enrollment at a later date.
- These Arizona public schools or school districts also state that they use corporal punishment, but give few or no details:
Cottonwood Middle School [PDF]
ARKANSAS: public schools
- Benton School Board [PDF]
Corporal punishment must (as also at Lonoke, Nettleton and Sulphur Rock, see below) be administered to the "lower posterior". Refusal to submit to it may result in suspension. Typical rules about privacy and witnesses. "Parents who prefer suspension rather than corporal punishment may sign a discipline form that is available in the principal’s office."
- Berryville School District
At both High and Middle Schools, CP is specified for a first offense (as an alternative to 3 days' ISS) of numerous violations, including insubordination, bullying, use of cellphones, damaging property, profanity, smoking and gambling, and for a second offense of breach of cafeteria rules, out of bounds or chewing gum. There is a maximum of three swats per spanking, to be delivered by an administrator and witnessed by a principal or teacher.
The rules are broadly similar at the elementary school, but fewer offenses are listed and there is no maximum number of swats.
See also this July 2005 news item and this Oct 2006 follow-up about a 3-swat paddling for fighting at the elementary school resulting in legal action, even though the parents had chosen CP instead of suspension. The court threw out an accusation of child abuse after the spanked boy, 11, said "it hurt a couple of minutes afterwards but that's all", representing a vindication for the assistant principal and the school, and a defeat for the state "Department of Human Services", which -- disgracefully, in my view, since the punishment clearly fell within the district's rules -- had wanted the teacher placed on the register of child abusers.
- Cabot School District
Rather vague rules. CP is a "serious consequence" and shall follow warnings that the misbehavior will not be tolerated. Parents may opt out, but this may mean suspension. See also, in respect of South Cabot Junior High School, this Dec 2002 news item.
- Calico Rock School District
The elementary school has an assertive discipline plan and a system of numbered cards. Students receiving a "4th reprimand" card must visit the office and may be paddled, but only when other alternatives have been exhausted. Students sent to the office also automatically lose privileges for a given number of days. Typical rules about privacy and witnesses. Refusal to accept CP may lead to suspension.
At the high school, parents are to sign a form stating that they either do or do not permit the use of CP. Any student who exceeds five tardies in a semester will receive paddling and/or ISS. For a second dress code or grooming violation, students are offered a choice between a paddling and an afternoon detention. Senior students may be disqualified from going on class trips if they have received ISS and CP on "numerous" occasions. Typical rules about privacy, witnesses and documentation. Refusal to be paddled may result in suspension.
- Carlisle Public Schools
At elementary level, after a given number of name checks on the board, varying with grade, the punishment is "paddling by the teacher or sent to the principal's office". In the latter event, paddling is also one of several possible consequences.
At the high school, there are specific provisions for the use of tobacco: on the first offense, the student is given the choice of "two licks administered by the principal" or two days in alternative school. (At that "rate of exchange", who would not take the licks?) Subsequent tobacco offenses mean suspension. CP is also specifically mentioned as a possible consequence of excessive tardies, and for a third offense of bullying. There are typical rules about witnesses for CP. Refusal to accept CP may result in suspension.
- Cotter School District
Repeated and/or severe misbehavior gives rise to an Individual Discipline Plan, which may include corporal punishment. Also, in grades 2 and 3, the punishment for the eighth "missed recess" punishment in a nine-week period is "one day in-school suspension or 2 swats (at school's discretion)". In grades 4, 5 and 6 the same applies for the fourth detention, but in that case the alternative to 2 swats is two days' in-school suspension.
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Drew Central High School, Monticello [PDF]
 Although in Monticello, this school is not part of Monticello School District. After three tardies, a student gets detention, or may choose CP instead, but only on the first such occasion in each nine weeks. "Students eligible for corporal punishment will report to the office at the beginning of their lunch period on the day their assignment is posted." It's probably good to get your whacking over with, rather than worrying about it all through lunch (at my school the canings came immediately after lunch, the prospect of imminent doom tending to spoil the appetite).
More generally, students may be paddled if other methods have failed "or in unusual circumstances". Those who refuse to be paddled may be suspended. In another addition to the handbook, parents may now sign a form (on page 3) asking that their student not be paddled.
The school has a lot of photographs on its website. This one taken in the school office was previously there, but seems to have been removed. Note small paddle lying on desk.
- Forrest City High School
Corporal punishment is not one of the "five levels of discipline" for "major or multiple infractions". However, CP "will be administered" (not "may be administered"!) when a student has "violated one of the handbook policies". I take this to mean, though it is far from clear, that CP is the standard penalty for lesser offenses. Also, "the principal may ... administer corporal punishment if ... the handbook violation is not serious enough to suspend". There seem to be no details of the actual procedure for CP.
See also this Dec 2001 news item.
- Fort Smith Public Schools (covers Fort Smith) [PDF]
Physical punishment is to be administered only after warnings and when other disciplinary measures have failed and warnings ignored. It must be administered to the "lower posterior (buttocks)" and reported to parents on the day it occurs.
- Helena/West Helena School District [PDF]
Paddling may be administered by the Superintendent or any certified staff member. A second such employee must be present as a witness. It must be done out of the sight and hearing of other students. There doesn't seem to be any provision for parental consultation or objections.
The Central High handbook merely restates the district policy.
See also this Jan 2005 news item.
- Hot Springs School District (Alternative link)
CP must be preceded by a warning that misbehavior will not be tolerated. It must be administered by a certificated district employee and witnessed by another. No other details are provided. This handbook is dated 2000-2001 but remains the only one on line, so is presumably still in force.
- Huntsville School District
All four schools may use CP. At the high and middle schools, if requested in writing by the parent, a student may receive suspension instead of swats. At the middle school, one day's suspension equals one swat. The high school doesn't specify an "exchange rate". The middle, primary and intermediate schools all prescribe CP as a possibility for a list of offenses. At the primary and intermediate schools, the alternative to swats on parental request is not necessarily suspension but "some other form of discipline", and the student is to be asked if there is any reason CP cannot be administered.
- Lake Hamilton School District, Pearcy
Paddling is available for a wide range of offenses (all separately listed) -- mostly as an alternative to detention. An earlier version said that CP had been restricted to grades 3 to 5 (i.e. only the elementary and intermediate schools), but that idea seems to have been abandoned, and the new primary, middle and high school handbooks say that paddling is once more available there too.
Parents may file a written request (which they must deliver annually in person) to opt their offspring out of CP but the student may then be suspended. Student refusal to submit to CP may also result in suspension.
The student being punished must be dressed in regular school clothes, and the punishment must be applied to the posterior. The paddle shall be of wood with round edges, and is to be discarded at the first sign of splintering.
- Leslie Public Schools
CP shall be used only when other alternatives have failed, or "in unusual circumstances". Usual rules about privacy and witnesses. It shall be "administered to the posterior only". Refusal to take it will result in suspension or expulsion. There is nothing about parental consent. CP comes fifth in a list of eight "discipline strategies" for teachers.
"Paddling (3 swats)" is also listed as the second-least serious of the actions that may occur when a student is referred to the principal, and is placed on a par with 3 days' in-school suspension, though it is unclear whether this choice is offered to the student.
- Lewisville School District
This is the handbook from 2000-01; nothing more recent seems to be on line. The parent has to sign a form in the handbook stating whether or not he or she gives permission to administer corporal punishment, and the student has to sign underneath. The instrument to be used "will be maintained in an administrator's office". Typical rules about privacy, witnesses and due process.
- Lonoke School District [DOC]
CP here must be administered not merely to the posterior but to the "lower posterior", which (if the administrator's aim with the paddle is really that accurate) is perhaps a good way of ensuring that the student will be reminded of the punishment when he or she sits down later on. A female employee must be present when girls are paddled. Refusal to submit to a paddling may result in suspension.
See also this Oct 2005 news item.
- McGehee School District
At the elementary school, "a paddling from the teacher will be administered at
the teacher's discretion". CP is specifically mentioned as a penalty for sexual harassment. Pupils get a one-day suspension if their parents will not let the school paddle them. At both schools, officials are not required to conduct formal hearings prior to administering corporal punishment. Refusal to submit to the paddle may mean suspension.
- Monticello School District
Typical Arkansas rules, not much detail. The High School handbook has a special section, new for the 2005-06 school year, about the pond in front of the school, and mentions that any student pushing, throwing, or deliberately going into the pond "will be sent home, suspended or paddled".
- Nettleton Public Schools [PDF] (Alternative link)
Very similar rules to Benton (see above), even down to the use of the unusual phrase "lower posterior".
- Ola Elementary School
- Ola High School
- Ola High School Athletic Handbook
At both levels, there is a long and comprehensive list of offenses for which paddling may be administered. In the elementary school, it is also an automatic penalty for a second offense of misbehavior on the school bus. Parents not wishing their offspring to be paddled must say so in writing annually. The athletic handbook leaves disciplinary action for tobacco use to the "discretion of the coach in charge" but does not specifically mention CP.
- Osceola School District [DOC]
CP shall be reasonable, and not excessive or severe. Typical rules about documentation, privacy and witnesses. Parents wishing their student not to be paddled must make a written request to that effect annually. Students who refuse to be paddled may be suspended.
See also this Feb 2001 news item and this Dec 2001 news item.
- Piggott School Board
Not a handbook -- the school district doesn't appear to have a website -- but a newspaper account (July 2006) of a School Board meeting at which it was decided that the penalty for bullying would be suspension "or corporal punishment not exceeding three swats".
- Sloan-Hendrix School District, Imboden
This handbook tells us that the maximum number of "licks with a paddle" is five, compared to the two or three that seem to be the norm in Arkansas. Paddling is specified for a fourth and fifth breach of the rules (in one semester, presumably) in grades K to 3, and for a third and fourth such occasion in grades 4 to 6. However, for severe infractions, including insubordination, destroying property or "total class disruption", a student "will be given a paddling or suspension" immediately.
- Spring Hill School District, Hempstead County [DOC]
This is stated to be the handbook for the High School, but there doesn't seem to be a separate one for the Elementary School. Corporal punishment may be the consequence of damage to property or theft, gambling (first offense), "general misbehavior", and profanity (first offense). Typical rules about privacy, due process and witnesses. Refusal to take a paddling may result in suspension. Near the end of the document is a form on which the parent may stipulate that CP not be used, but in that case out-of-school suspension, with zero grades on work and tests missed, may be applied.
See also this April 2006 news item about yet another mother complaining after her 13-year-old son was given a paddling to which she had previously consented.
- Sulphur Rock School District
Corporal punishment is "hereby defined as the paddling of students". It shall be "administered to the lower posterior only". Students may be suspended if they refuse the punishment. "Detention or corporal punishment or in-school suspension" is given as the consequence for many types of misconduct at all grade levels, but it's not clear whether these are to be regarded as exactly equivalent choices or, if so, whether the student has any say in the matter.
- Texarkana Arkansas School District No 7 [PDF]
Corporal punishment is to be used for minor offenses at the elementary level after other "corrective options" have been tried. For more serious matters, CP is an alternative to four days' ISS, at the discretion of the administrator. At high school level (grade 7 and upwards), CP is no longer mentioned as one of the specific alternatives for particular offenses, but it remains potentially available at all grades. Typical rules about privacy and witnesses. Lunch Detention is described as being an alternative to CP, rather than the other way round.
Near the end of the document (page 89) is a form requiring a "yes" or "no" to "Permission to administer corporal punishment". It has to be signed by the student as well as the parent.
- Trumann School District [PDF]
This school district's policies authorize corporal punishment by the Superintendent or designated members of staff; there are rules about privacy and witnesses. It shall not be excessive or administered with malice.
Both the High School and Cedar Park handbooks list a large number of offenses and the possible consequences for each one; corporal punishment (not much detail provided) is specified as a possible consequence for nearly all of them. Any teacher may paddle.
A separate Program Application [DOC] notes that there were 898 paddlings at the High School in school year 2002-03.
See also this Feb 2005 news item, which reports that 1,500 paddlings were administered in the district's three schools (total student population: 1,730) in school year 2003-04.
- Valley Springs School District
This handbook cites the Supreme Court ruling that spanking is constitutional, and doesn't seem to provide for parental objections. CP is mentioned for certain specific offenses. A first offense of misbehavior on the school bus brings "3 swats or 3 days' suspension from the bus". It's not clear whether this is an option offered to the student. For subsequent bus offenses the student is suspended from the bus for longer periods, and the swats option is not mentioned, except at the Middle School, where the principal has discretion to alter the punishment specified, "including corporal punishment when necessary". "Corporal punishment or ISS" is the consequence for a first offense of tobacco possession or use. In this case no number of swats is specified. For all other offenses, CP is a "level three" penalty, which seems to mean that it does not come into play until the student's third infraction (warning and detention, respectively, being the consequences for the first two). Usual rules about privacy, witnesses and due process. Refusal to accept CP may result in suspension.
The High School has its own distinct "discipline ladder". Here, "swats" (number unspecified) are an alternative to 3 days'-worth of detentions or one day of in-school suspension at step 1 of the ladder. Further steps involve larger amounts of suspension but apparently not CP.
- Waldron School District
Paddling may be used "if a teacher or principal feels it is necessary". At the high school and the middle school there is a maximum of 3 swats per incident. A novel rule at the high school (not mentioned at the lower level) is that parents may be requested to be present at the punishment -- an unnecessary humiliation for the student at that age, I should have thought: isn't getting spanked embarrassing enough, without mom and dad watching?
Both schools have typical rules about privacy, witnesses and parental notification. Refusal to be paddled may result in suspension. Parents' requests to spare their kids from CP will be honored as far as possible, but "for various reasons the district will not give absolute assurance that corporal punishment will never occur".
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White County Central School District, Judsonia [DOC]
Usual rules about privacy and witnesses. It seems the principal doesn't have to be informed until after the event. Students are offered the choice of a paddling or ISS for a first tobacco offense. CP is also a possible consequence for fighting, particularly at the first offense in grades K to 4.
See also this Dec 2001 news item.
- Yellville-Summit School District
At the High School, corporal punishment (no details provided) or 3 days' ISS is the consequence for a first offense of truancy -- quite an unusual infraction to single out for special mention as attracting this penalty. For all other offenses, CP features towards the "minor" end of a spectrum of penalties going from "a minimum of a verbal warning to a maximum of expulsion".
A novel provision is that "Adjustments to the disciplinary plan will be made for students who misbehave during the last few weeks of a semester since all options will not be available". Does this perhaps mean there are more paddlings at the end of term than at the beginning?
The Middle School merely mentions CP as one of the possible consequences of misbehavior, particularly fighting, repeated failure to follow simple instructions/directions, excessive talking, truancy, unacceptable language, obscene gestures, and disruptive/uncooperative bus problems, and gives no detailed information.
At the Elementary School, it will "most usually" be employed when other methods have failed, but in serious cases "a teacher will send the student immediately to the principal and the student may be paddled, sent home, or suspended".
- These Arkansas public schools or school districts also state that they use corporal punishment, but give few or no details:
Farmington School District [DOC] (and see also this July 2002 news item)
Fayetteville Public Schools [PDF], though apparently only for sexual harassment
Siloam Springs School Board [PDF]
South Conway County Schools, Morrilton [PDF] (and see also this Dec 2001 news item)
Walnut Ridge High School
- These Arkansas schools or districts are also known to use corporal punishment, but did not appear to say so on line when I last checked, or are not on line at all:
Earle School District - see this May 2005 news item.
East Poinsett County Schools - see this March 2005 news item and this April 2005 follow-up.
Greenland School District - see this Aug 2004 news item.
Malvern Junior High School - see this April 2004 news item.
Mount Vernon-Enola High School - see this April 2003 news item.
Prescott School District - see this June 2005 news item and this Oct 2005 follow-up.
Quitman Schools - see this June 2005 news item.
Searcy School District - see this Feb 2005 news item, which states that there were 890 paddlings at Searcy High School in academic year 2003-04.
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