Missouri School District Offers Spanking as Punishment for Students, But Only If Parents Agree

A Missouri school district is offering spanking as a punishment for students this school year — but only if their parents sign up to the policy.

Earlier this week, parents of students attending classes in the Cassville R-IV School District were notified that the school board had taken on a policy in June that allows the "use of physical force as a method of correcting student behavior," The Washington Post reported.

Per the policy, corporal punishment utilizing a wooden paddle on a student's butt is permitted, but only as a last resort "when all other alternative means of discipline have failed."

The disciplinary measure, the policy adds, should be done "in reasonable form and upon the recommendation of the principal," and "never be inflicted in the presence of other students."

The Cassville R-IV School District's new policy also states that the use of corporal punishment should only be given by "certified personnel" while they are "in the presence of a witness who is also an employee of the district." Striking a student on the head or face is prohibited, and the action must be done "so that there can be no chance of bodily injury or harm."

Getty

A teacher or principal must also send a report to the school district's superintendent explaining the reasons why the punishment has been employed.

A representative for the Cassville R-IV School District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Getty

RELATED: Spanking Does More Harm Than Good, the American Academy of Pediatrics Advises in New Statement

Speaking with the Springfield News-Leader, Cassville R-IV School District Superintendent Merlyn Johnson revealed that forms were given to parents on an open school night. These allow parents to either opt in or out of the punishment for their child.

Johnson told the outlet that some parents have long requested corporal punishment be allowed within the district, which belongs to a "very traditional community in southwest Missouri."

"Parents have said, 'Why can't you paddle my student?' and we're like, 'We can't paddle your student, our policy does not support that,'" he added. "There had been conversation[s] with parents, and there had been requests from parents for us to look into it."

Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.

After the policy was put in place, Johnson told the Springfield News-Leader, "We've had people actually thank us for it."

"Surprisingly, those on social media would probably be appalled to hear us say these things, but the majority of people that I've run into have been supportive," he continued, referencing online debate about the district's move.

"This will only be for those parents who wish to be part of it," Johnson added. "We respect the decision of every parent, whatever decision they make."

Yet the response hasn't been completely positive. While one Twitter user urged teachers in the school district to "make sure those kids are never touched by a paddle", another said simply, "You can do better."

RELATED VIDEO: How Jana Kramer & Mike Caussin Discipline Their Kids at 'Difficult' Ages: 'We Don't Spank'

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that corporal punishment within schools was constitutional and left the decision to allow it in the hands of each state, USA Today reported. Missouri, the outlet said, is one of the 19 states where corporal punishment is still allowed. Most of the other 18 states are nearby in the south.

"No one is jumping up and down saying we want to do this because we like to paddle kids. That is not the reason that we would want to do this," Johnson told the Springfield News-Leader. He also noted that only one or two swings are allowed to be used for younger students, while up to three can be utilized for older ones.

"The kid stays in the classroom and learns. When they are suspended, they are not with the teacher anymore," he added. "A lot of times when kids are out-of-school suspended, they don't have the opportunity to make up that work. They get zeros and that is not what we want."

Alongside the new spanking policy, the Cassville R-IV School District also banned electronics from the classroom and created a "Success Academy" for those "who struggle in a traditional setting," per the Springfield News-Leader.

"The positive reinforcement, we love it. That works with a lot of kids," Johnson told the outlet. "However some kids play the game and their behaviors aren't changing." He added: "We understand that it is a bit of a shock factor. So if there is one kid or a few kids out there that know... there might be a different type of discipline, it might change their behavior."

Johnson and his team intend to review the impact of their initiatives at the end of the school year. "We go back to the drawing board every year and look at what our needs are and reassess and come back with something different, maybe, next year," he told the Springfield News-Leader.