What kind of paddles are used for in southern schools?

I am working at an amusement park for the summer with other college students from all over the U.S. My roommates and I were talking about how much some kids s their parents at the park. One is from Georgia and the other from Alabama. Both said if they sed their parents they got ed with a belt and if they sed their teachers they got ed with a paddle. They said a school paddle was maybe 2 feet long, 4 inches wide, 1/2 an inch thick and had holes drilled it in and you'd get 6 or 8 swats for sing a teacher. This was maybe 6 or 7 years ago. Are they jerkin' me around 'cause I'm from up north, or was this for real?