Like many schools in Texas, "spare the rod and spoil the child" might be considered the motto at Springtown High School.  But when two teenage girls there reportedly suffered bruises after being paddled by male assistant principals, some parents complained.  So the school district has changed its policy -- to expand, not abolish, corporal punishment. Board members voted Monday night to let administrators paddle students of the opposite sex, after Superintendent Michael Kelley cited a lack of women administrators to carry out spankings.  The new policy says a same-gender school official must witness the paddling, which is just one "swat,". In all cases, a parent must give written permission and request it in lieu of another punishment, such as suspension or detention. Texas law allows schools to use corporal punishment unless a parent or guardian prohibits it in writing. The issue of the student or educator's gender is not addressed, and there are no state standards on the minimum or maximum ages of students who can be spanked, according to the Texas Education Agency.