FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Board of Education voted Wednesday to tighten its rules regarding the use of corporal punishment in schools.

“We do know that there is an effort afoot to engage the General Assembly in a conversation about revising the statute in such a way to ban corporal punishment entirely,” said Board Chair Lu S. Young. “In the absence of such a statute, I applaud this work.”

“I’m on record as saying I consider this a barbaric practice,” said Education Commissioner Jason E. Glass. “I’m embarrassed that it exists anywhere in the state of Kentucky.”

Under the new rules, all school boards must adopt a policy either allowing or prohibiting corporal punishment, and if allowed, schools must obtain written consent from parents in the first five days of the school year.

Schools must also obtain additional verbal consent from a parent immediately before a child is spanked. Only the principal or assistant principal is allowed to administer corporal punishment, with another certified staff member the same gender as the student as a witness.

Afterward, the student must receive 30 minutes of counseling by the school guidance counselor, psychologist or other mental health professional by the end of the next school day.

Students who have an individual education plan or 504 plan, and those who are either classified as homeless or in foster care are exempt from corporal punishment.

Currently, 156 school districts in Kentucky ban corporal punishment, while four allow it and 11 have no policy.