Faced with a $3.3 million deficit, the Duquesne City School District is considering a 2006-07 budget that eliminates all arts and music classes and all sports except junior varsity and varsity football and girls and boys varsity basketball.

Despite that, some residents say they want to keep the high school open rather than pay tutition to send students to another district.

Already, courses like Algebra II and Physics II can't be offered, and French was recently cut from the curriculum, leaving Spanish as the only foreign language. More cuts are predicted with each coming year as the deficit grows.

Shawn Farr, president of the State Board of Control, which runs the district, disclosed last week that he was in discussions with other districts, including Pittsburgh, about the possibility of accepting Duquesne High School students. Dismal finances and low enrollment -- just 195 students in grades nine to 12 -- prompted Mr. Farr to explore the option.

It could begin in fall 2006 with the current eighth-grade class of 60 students.

Despite Mr. Farr's promise to consult with parents when a plan is developed, several residents at a community meeting on Wednesday objected.

"Why do we need to wait until you find a district to send the kids to when we don't want them taken out?" asked Lina Washington.

Mr. Farr told the parents, grandparents and students in the audience of 80 that he understood their desire to keep their high school. But he pointed out that with a severe funding shortfall, low enrollment and just 14 teachers, the high school program is woefully behind others in the area.

"You can voice that you don't want your kids taken out, but these cuts are going to happen. We are a district that struggles every pay period to pay its employees.

"Don't think of just today. Think of the future," Mr. Farr said.

The proposed 2006-07 budget of $12.8 million, which Mr. Farr described as being in the "very preliminary stages," calls for elimination of five K-6 teachers, one K-6 reading specialist and the Board of Control secretary.

The proposed budget reduces spending for nonathletic extracurricular activities from $28,198 this year to $3,500, an amount that will allow for seven activity sponsors to be paid $500 each.

Mr. Farr said he presented the proposed budget now to comply with Act 72, the legislation that allows school districts to share in slot machine revenue when it becomes available. Duquesne is one of 111 districts in the state that opted to accept slots revenue.

Mr. Farr asked residents to "think of what it is going to look like for the sixth-, seventh- and and eighth-graders" as they move into the Duquesne High School program, with more cuts each year.

"It would be irresponsible not to explore options," he said.

DeWayne Tucker, longtime member of the elected school board, said state officials have concealed information in their six years of overseeing the district that might have helped the community avoid its current dilemma.

Residents asked why Mr. Farr was in discussions with Pittsburgh school officials about the possibility of taking Duquesne students rather than closer districts like West Mifflin Area or McKeesport Area.

Mr. Farr said he is in discussions with districts that are open to the idea. He said other districts, even though geographically close, can't be forced to take the students.

He said it "has the possibility of making sense" for Pittsburgh schools to take Duquesne students because the Pittsburgh district has declining enrollment and is looking at closing schools.

"This fills seats for them," Mr. Farr said.

He stressed that his talks with Pittsburgh officials "are in the early exploratory stages" and that there is no time limit for making a decision.