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RALEIGH -- Raleigh's mayor wants to put together a panel of experts to look at the legality of the Wake County School Board's new student assignment policy.

Mayor Charles Meeker, who is also an attorney, is concerned ending the system's diversity policy could resegregate schools and create some high-poverty schools.

He wants to form a panel of top educators and lawyers to review the board's new student assignment plan once its finalized to make sure it provides all students with the same quality of education.

“Any lawsuit now would be premature, but I do think we need to be ready to review the school board's reassignment plan when it comes out in the fall to see if it does meet constitutional, statutory standards that each student be treated fairly,” Meeker said. “This new [school board] majority has gone out of its way to say its not going to have diversity, it's going to reject that policy.

Meeker said that's a matter of real concern. John Tedesco, one of the new majority members on the school board, is disappointed that Meeker is taking such drastic action.

“Its a shame that's he's even tried to bring up such a divisive approach to working with us so early on,” he said. “Even the mentioning of a lawsuit is ridiculous. That's money that should be spent in the classroom, not the courtroom.”

Tedesco insists a community-based student assignment policy will not resegregate schools.

“It's not about a diversity problem,” he said. “This is one of the most integrated communities in the country.”

The school board says it will have seven community engagement meetings to discuss the new neighborhood student assignment policy once it's developed.

The school system could begin phasing it in as early as the 2011 school year.