TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Florida law passed this year now allows parents to opt their children in for spankings in schools — under the right circumstances, that is.
This change comes courtesy of HB 1255, which took effect just last month.
The new law requires school districts that permit corporal punishment to now reach out to parents for permission ahead of time.
“The policy must specify that parent consent is provided for the entire school year or before each administration of corporal punishment,” Legislative analysts wrote. “Charter schools must comply with the updated requirements for corporal punishment.”
[RELATED: Here are all of the new Florida laws that took effect on July 1]
According to the National Education Association, Florida is among 17 states that still allow corporal punishment.
Even before HB 1255, state law required that the use of corporal punishment be approved by the principal before being used, with strict guidelines for how it can be administered.
In addition, any teacher who administers corporal punishment must have another adult around, along with a written explanation for why the punishment was meted out, if a parent requests it.
That being said, the Florida Department of Education only reported 516 instances of corporal punishment in its latest discipline report for the 2023-2024 school year. Those instances were reported out of the following 17 counties:
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Calhoun County — 59
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Columbia County — 50
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Dixie County — N/A
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Franklin County — 11
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Gilchrist County — 27
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Hamilton County — 16
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Hardee County — 14
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Holmes County — 65
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Jackson County — 24
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Lafayette County — 34
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Levy County — 19
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Liberty County — 31
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St. Johns County — N/A
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Suwannee County — 74
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Union County — N/A
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Wakulla County — 45
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Washington County — 43
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