At Lynn Fanning Elementary, Smithers rarely uses hers. I might paddle five children every two years. At other schools, like Riverton Middle, the principal might paddle more than 100 kids each year. These days there are a few basic requirements and little consistency between any two public schools. Kids get paddled for anything from tardiness to talking back to fighting on the playground.
Administrators wield the paddles.
The target area is limited to the buttocks. There must be a certified teacher as a witness. Administrators usually, but not always, call the parents before or after the discipline. According to principals, boys will choose the licks. Male administrators paddle older boys and women paddle older girls.