Wake County families now know what their school choices will be under the new student assignment plan scheduled to go into effect next year.

School leaders announced Friday that they've set up a Web page that allows people to search by their address which schools they'll have to pick from under the new choice-based plan. Parents were clamoring for the information before the new assignment plan was adopted by the school board on Oct. 18.

"We want parents to put their children in the school they feel that will best serve them," Superintendent Tony Tata said at a Friday news conference. "That's what this choice plan is about."

Under the new choice-based plan, families will no longer be assigned to specific schools but will instead pick from various choices, with school officials trying to provide them their top picks.

The plan replaces the old method that had used socioeconomic diversity as one of the factors in assignment.

One of the complaints from critics before the vote was that parents couldn't yet see their choices for next year. School leaders downplayed the concern by saying that families would be able to choose from among the closest schools to their homes.

Under the new plan, families will get at least five elementary school choices, at least two middle school choices and at least two high schools.

Tata again stressed Friday that families who like their current school will be able to stay there for the 2012-13 school year, even if it's not among the choices given under the plan. Students will also be able to keep their bus service if they choose to stay at their current school.

The new online search function comes as school administrators work to implement the plan for next school year.

Beginning in December, families will be able to apply to attend magnet schools.

In January, families will be able to apply to attend non-magnet schools. School officials said that the information provided in January will be more detailed, including the distance each school is from their address, how many seats are available and the current number of requests for seats by grade level.

With the exception of potential corrections, school officials said the school choices now listed online are not expected to change.

Jean Davidson of North Raleigh was one of the parents who rushed to look up their options Friday. She was not happy with what she found.

Davidson said that the middle school her fifth-grader would be guaranteed to attend next year is too far away. Of her two middle school choices, she's worried she'll get the one on the year-round calendar while her older child will be at a traditional-calendar high school. She plans to put down a nonrefundable deposit for a private school just in case she doesn't get a traditional-calendar middle school.

"It's not going to be cheap, but it guarantees that my children will stay on the same calendar," Davidson said.

Kristen Turner also looked and saw that her youngest child will now be scheduled to go to Ligon Middle School instead of Martin Middle School next year.

"It's not great, but there are other families who are affected more than me," Turner said.

The plan could change depending on the results of the Nov. 8 runoff election between Democratic incumbent Kevin Hill and Republican challenger Heather Losurdo. The winner will determine which side has the majority.

Hill was one of two board members who voted against the plan. He argued that it doesn't do enough to set aside seats at high-performing schools for families applying from low-performing areas.

Losurdo has charged that a Hill victory would result in a system of "forced busing," an accusation that Hill has denied.