Chapel Hill ISD board members unanimously approved changes to the district's corporal punishment policy Monday at their meeting.

One of the changes addressed gender as it pertains to administering corporal punishment.

The new guidelines state that "female principal(s) or designee shall spank or paddle female students" and "male principal(s) or designee shall spank or paddle male students."

Superintendent Joe Stubblefield said the district wanted to make sure of the gender specifications.

There have been two men and one woman who could administer corporal punishment at the high school, he said, so another woman will have to be designated to ensure a man wouldn't administer corporal punishment to a female student.

Additionally, another man will have to be designated at the middle school, Stubblefield said.

Another change in the corporal punishment guidelines involves corporal punishment being administered as a substitute for Special Assignment Class, or what is commonly known as in-school suspension.

Board Vice President Gary Tyler said under the newly approved guidelines, a student could only take corporal punishment in lieu of SAC for one day.

As far as if corporal punishment is used, Stubblefield said parents have the option to object to the use of corporal punishment with their child.

About 70 percent of high school parents chose the option to allow corporal punishment for their child or children this school year, he said.

"I do think it's effective," Tyler said of corporal punishment. "(For example), if you cut yourself on something, you're not going to do it again because it hurts."

Stubblefield said he believed corporal punishment has been used at the middle school four times this school year.

Board president Glen Elliott also talked about the corporal punishment issue, saying he thinks the district has come up with a policy that is appropriate.

The amended policy "better suits the needs for everybody concerned," he said.