According to the most recent report card from the Kentucky Department of Education, there were zero cases of corporal punishment in any of the state's 171 school districts during the last school year.

That's because for the first time, every school board in the state has regulations banning the practice.

Our McKenzie Spink has more on the details and what advocates hope for next.

We want our students to come to school in a safe environment where they trust administrators, when they trust teachers, when corporal punishment or any violence in schools that deteriorates relationships.

And we believe I believe personally, building a safe school environment is fundamental to building those trusted relationships.

For the first time in recent history, Kentucky had zero cases of corporal punishment in a school year, a milestone achieved through the work of advocates like Alex Young, who started this journey in middle school advocating for laws against corporal punishment in schools.

We're talking about corporal punishment, most predominantly with a paddle.

If an adult were to use that same size instrument on another adult, it would be considered assault.

And so we believe at prevent child abuse, Kentucky, that is an adult to an adult would be considered assault than an adult to a child.

It certainly should be considered that or more.

Nationwide, we've seen it disproportionately affect communities and students of color.

In Kentucky, we've seen a disparate impact on students who have disabilities.

In the 2019 2020 school year.

About 46% of incidents involved students with disabilities.

About 87% of incidents involved students who are economically disadvantaged.

While there are still no legislation banning the practice.

Young says changes have happened at the school board level.

And he found another policy window through the State Board of Education lobbied members of the school board to pass administrative regulation that positively encouraged every school district in our city to make the decision to end corporal punishment.

And that's what led to zero incidents last year.

Though, the Kentucky Department of Education report found no cases of corporal punishment.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, and says paddles are still being raised in schools.

What I can tell you is we still get calls around the improper use of corporal punishment.

Is it much more rare today than a few years ago?

Absolutely.

But I also don't want us as a commonwealth taking our foot off the accelerator.

However, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, another advocacy group against corporal punishment, says they have not received any reports of corporal punishment, leading them to believe the numbers from the Department of Education are correct.

I don't want to say that they haven't happened.

I'm just saying that they have not been reported or indicated to prevent child abuse.

Kentucky, both Kentucky youth advocates and prevent child abuse.

Kentucky do agree on what they say needs to happen next.

Legislation banning corporal punishment in Kentucky schools.

When it comes to corporal punishment.

What we frequently heard was, well, well, you know, I'm not for Corporal punishment, but I don't want to tell schools not to do that.

Well, now that we have every school district having taken a position around corporal punishment, what I'd love to think is that that gives the General Assembly a green light because school boards change.

Right.

So if we're at this point, if there is a consensus that corporal punishment is ineffective, unwise, unethical, and at its very core discriminatory implementation, then let's go ahead and just finish it off as a topic.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Mackenzie Spink.

Thank you, Mackenzie.

So far, this legislative session, no bills concerning corporal punishment in schools have been filed.

The deadline to file bills in the state Senate is February 18th.

It's a day later and the state House.