MORRISVILLE - A resolution supporting community-based school assignments and parental choice on school calendars barely made it through the doors of council chambers at Town Hall. But it was quickly sent packing.

In the opening 10 minutes of a briefing session on Tuesday, a sharply divided Town Council voted to remove the "Resolution Supporting Families' Educational Choice" from the evening's agenda.

Councilman Tom Murry, the lone Republican on the seven-member board, pitched the idea for the resolution at a council meeting on May 25. He suggested at the time that it would be important for Morrisville's elected leaders to lend its voice to the ongoing battle over socioeconomic diversity and neighborhood schools in Wake County.

Apex, whose council consists of five Republicans and one Democrat, had offered a resolution in support of the school board's initiative earlier in May.

"I think it would be to our advantage, not necessarily in showing support for another political body, but for a particular position of neighborhood schools," Murry said at the May meeting.

His colleagues on the Town Council, meanwhile, had other ideas.

Councilman Steve Diehl on Tuesday led a charge to strike the resolution from the night's agenda.

"I don't feel that the council should be endorsing the actions of other government bodies," he said.

Still, it took two tries to accomplish the task.

An initial motion exclusively aimed at removing the resolution from a list of discussion items failed for lack of consensus.

Mayor Jackie Holcombe, mayor pro-tem Pete Martin and council member Steve Diehl supported the motion.

Murry bristled at the idea that the council might not allow his resolution to be heard.

"Just because a majority doesn't want to discuss something doesn't mean it shouldn't be on the agenda," he said. "In my opinion, a vote of yes on this [amended] agenda ... is akin to a 'no' vote on family educational choices."

Broadwell, who supported Murry in his effort to see the resolution placed on the agenda, didn't state her opinion on Wake County's pending policy changes.

But she suggested it would not be fair to disallow discussion on a topic of great importance to Morrisville residents.

"The issue has already been raised," Broadwell said. "Taking it off of the agenda without letting people know what we think about it does not make the issue go away.

"Some citizens really want to know where we stand," she continued, "even though it is recognized that we do not have the authority of the Wake County schools."

In the end, however, their points proved moot.

A second motion - this one to approve an agenda for the meeting, minus the schools resolution - passed by a vote of 4 to 3.

Councilwoman Linda Lyons provided the swing vote.