Educators in Arkansas used corporal punishment 36,439 times in 2005-2006.

...the use of corporal punishment in schools is intrinsically related to child maltreatment. It contributes to a climate of violence, it implies that society approves of the physical violation of children, it establishes an unhealthy norm..." U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect.  9/15/91  The use of corporal punishment in Arkansas schools in 2005-2006 was 4,078 paddlings lower than in 2004-2005; 10,583 lower than 2003-2004. 31 school districts out of 262 reported no  pupils hit with a board by the teachers at their schools. For five consecutive years, 11 school districts have reported no corporal punishment; for four consecutive years, 15 have reported no cp; for three consecutive years, 20 have reported no cp and, for two consecutive years, 24 districts have reported no paddling. (click here) 441 schools out of 1112 (some of them in districts that permit paddling) reported no paddling.

African American children, however, were hit 31.19% of the times the paddle was used, or more than 1 and 1/3 times their proportion of state enrollment.

36,439 times in 2005-2006, an Arkansas public school teacher hit a pupil with a board. 11,365 times, the child was African American (31.19% of total hit). 105,568 of the 463,922 students enrolled in 2005-2006 were African American (22.75% of total) The proportion of the 36,439 paddlings administered that involved an African American was over one and one-third times the proportion of student enrollment that was African American (31.19% divided by 22.75% reveals the problematic disproportion). The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights recognized our 2002 complaint, supported by standard statistical analyses of disproportion in populations, as demonstrating that being paddled in Arkansas schools was dependent upon race. Regrettable, African Americans remain more likely to be hit in the name of discipline than are Whites. Racial disparities in paddling have been statistically significant in nearly 20% of Arkansas school districts.

In 21.74% of times children were intentionally hurt in the name of discipline, the students were identified as "Special Education" and entitled by law to receive unique learning assistance... unique learning experience.

56,913 of the 463,922 students enrolled were classified "Special Education"... 12.27% of enrollment.  7,942 of the 36,439 (21.79%) paddlings involved a Special Education student. Neither special nor unique, corporal punishment was inflicted upon this group at a rate higher than 1 and 3/4 times their proportion of enrollment. 2,321 of the 7,942 paddlings endured by Special Education students occurred to African Americans... 29.2%; a rate more than 1 and 1/4 times their proportion of total enrollment.  These proportions are too high to rule out the possibility that the maltreatment of these children is dependent upon their learning disabilities AND their race.