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CARY- The vote on the Wake County School Board's long-debated student assignment plan is days away. As the vote draws close, some newly elected Board Members are concerned that the current Board is moving forward too fast.

Superintendent Tony Tata said the timing to approve his proposed student assignment plan is practical.

"We need the plan in place for next year. We have some deadlines. Some of them are very hard deadlines,” said Tata.

At a news conference Friday, Tata said school system leaders need to notify students of their grandfather assignment in mid-November. Magnet applications begin in early December. If approved, parents of Kindergartners could begin registering online and making their school choices in January.

"Any delay, the bill payers are the families and students of Wake County Public Schools,” said Tata.

Tata has worked on his assignment plan emphasizing neighborhood schools and parent choice over the district's long standing policy of busing for diversity. It is an issue that has divided the board for two years.

After four Democratic-backed candidates were elected Tuesday, many wonder if a possible power shift will change the proposed policy.

"It would be nice and appropriate for the board members who have just been elected to weigh in on this plan,” said Susan Evans.

Evans defeated current Chairman Ron Margiotta this week. She said the recent online test drive proves most students were being grandfathered into their current schools and there is no need to change things for the upcoming school year.

"We're not looking at a big overhaul to our assignment plan next year. It's important that we take our time and do it correctly," said Evans.

Tata disagrees and said after months of planning and parent input, now is the time. He said voting Tuesday with the current board has been the plan all along. He said it would be insulting to board members who were not re-elected if a vote were not held.

The election will be certified by Tuesday. For the School Board, it will come down to a runoff between Democrat backed incumbent Kevin Hill and his Republican-backed challenger Heather Losurudo. If she won, the Republican supported majority will remain.

The runoff will be Nov. 8.