Flooding and a sewer backup have delayed the start of the new term. Classes at the school, which has educated princes and prime ministers, will move online.
Birmingham-Southern College was on the verge of receiving a multimillion-dollar loan, but the state treasurer balked, saying it was not a justifiable use of taxpayer money.
The measure was proposed in response to a New York Times investigation that revealed widespread use of such punishment in Hasidic Jewish private schools.