CARY - Strong vocal opposition to Wake County schools' latest reassignment plan prompted school leaders to divide speakers at a public hearing Thursday at Green Hope High School.

More than 70 parents signed up to speak at the meeting. Because the meetings are only scheduled to last two hours and each speaker is given three minutes, school board members said the first 36 parents signed up would speak in the school's media center. The remaining parents spoke in the school's auditorium.

Board members also split up to hear the speakers.

The decision frustrated parents.

"This is one opportunity as parents we get to speak to the whole board," said parent Allison Backhouse, who stood up and objected to the moves before the hearing began. "We don't get that opportunity often, and it shows that they want to divide and conquer us."

School board member Beverley Clark told parents that in the past the school board has held simultaneous meetings with some board members present at each.

"This is something that is commonly done during reassignment hearings," Clark said.

But the reasoning didn't satisfy those who said all parents should be able to hear the comments.

During the meeting, parents scooted back and forth from the media center to the auditorium to hear other parents' comments and support parents from their schools who were speaking in a separate room.

Thursday night was the second scheduled hearing since Wake school administrators released a revised reassignment plan this month. The plan calls for moving 6,824 elementary pupils to different schools this fall.

Wake annually reassigns students to fill new schools, ease overcrowding and promote diversity. The latest plan includes a new board policy that says schools in the same area should have similar demographics.

Many of Thursday's speakers were parents from Davis Drive and Oak Grove elementary schools. They have been some of the most vocal about the plan.

Wearing purple T-shirts, a cluster of Davis Drive parents encouraged the board to drop several of their attendance areas from the plan to create more stability for students.

"We are here for the children, and each child has a face and feelings," said parent Karen Carter, as another parent in the audience held up a picture of Carter's son.

Other parents begged the school board to end its policy of busing students from their neighborhoods and spend more money hiring teachers to help under-performing students.

"Do something big with the board position you have," Eleanor Thorne said. "Break from the norm. We need educational programs, not bus riding."

The final public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24 at Middle Creek High School. The board is scheduled to vote on the plan Feb. 5.