The town of Cary won't be creating its own school system any time soon. But local leaders voted Thursday to begin a countywide task force that will take municipalities' concerns to the Wake Board of Education.

The task force's creation was partly fueled by Cary parents who are so weary of continuing reassignments that some have implored Cary officials to create a separate school system.

For many of the parents who spoke at Thursday night's council meeting, a separate school system represents a last resort. First they want to see more focused town recommendations on school board decisions and greater voter influence on the board's makeup.

"I would like the opportunity to vote for more than one school board member," said Paula King, a Cary parent. Many parent speakers favored more at-large board seats.

Parents spoke passionately about how neighborhood schools foster parental involvement, and most said a halt to busing would help protect them.

One parent who strongly favored a separate town school system was Tom Luzzi. He said Cary officials' past attempts to influence school board policy had fallen on deaf ears.

Cary should tell the board "if they're not going to represent us -- we're going to start our own school system," Luzzi said. "We can't afford not to."

But Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said the expense of a separate system made it nearly infeasible. Before the meeting he said a town system could cost Cary more than $300 million for buildings alone.

Council member Don Frantz supports a separate system and brought it up often during his fall campaign.

Although a separate system might soothe parents' concerns about reassignments and overcrowding, Frantz acknowledged that creating a new district would be complex and lengthy. For one thing, the General Assembly would have to authorize it.

For now Frantz and the council favor a more cooperative approach. They hope the task force survey will involve town, county and state officials in finding common concerns and then formulating suggestions to the school board.

The council voted Thursday to start the task force survey. which will take about three months, as soon as possible.

Weinbrecht was the only council member who abstained. He said he worried that the task force would merely echo the findings of a similar 2003 study completed by Cary, Apex and Garner officials that seemed to have little effect on the school board.

"My fear is we are giving [the citizens] false hope," Weinbrecht said.