Parents all across Wake County are weighing in on the school board.

Many are fired up over year-round-schooling and reassignment issues, and some are calling for a change.

Tuesday night, State Rep. Ty Harrell (D-Raleigh) hosted a conversation between people from several different points of view.

"They can come in and we can begin to ask the right questions so that our long-term solutions will be the best thing for Wake County's children," Harrell said.

The main topic right now is how school board members are elected.

Some parents say they're tired of having a say in only one of nine districts, and want more at-large options.

"Often, our children go to school in a district which is different than the one we vote in, leaving us effectively no voice in how schools are managed," said Joe Ciulla, with TakeOurSchoolsBack.org.

Opponents of the at-large plan say it's regressive, and could lead to a lopsided balance of power.
"You need to have those districts defined and that's where people need to be elected from," said Jennifer Lanane, with the Wake, North Carolina Association of Educators. "To do a county-wide election, one segment of the county can control the whole county."

To counter that argument, at-large proponents say there are ways to water it down a little, and keep some of the old system in place.

"We could do a blend of four at-large candidates and five district-based candidates," said Ciulla. "I think there's room for a compromise."

Opponents say that still won't work, partly because of the sheer numbers; viable candidates for at-large seats simply wouldn't have the resources to get out and campaign effectively.

"This county is so wide, a county-wide election would take -- it is larger than a congressional district," said Lanane. "That's a huge area to cover for school board."

Both sides say that having a conversation like this is healthy, and they hope it will let state legislators like Harrell when it's time for to decide if the county can change the rules.