A plan for the Pittsburgh Public Schools to provide management services to the Duquesne City School District could be approved by this time next week.

State Secretary of Education Gerald L. Zahorchak will speak at two community meetings at Duquesne Education Center tomorrow to explain how officials will use $2 million in special aid the Legislature appropriated for the struggling Duquesne district.

The money was earmarked for outside management services.

Duquesne's state-appointed Board of Control is expected to adopt a budget and approve the management contract Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh school Superintendent Mark Roosevelt will meet behind closed doors with the city's school board members individually and in small groups Friday to outline his proposal for helping Duquesne.

Pittsburgh school Solicitor Ira Weiss said Friday's private meetings won't violate the state open meetings law because there will be no quorum present at any of the sessions.

He said the meetings were not an attempt to evade public discussion about a politically and racially sensitive issue, only a quick and convenient way to brief board members on the rapidly developing situation.

"It's difficult to do all these negotiations and all this discussion in a public forum because there's a lot of changes being made and a lot of legal issues, too," Mr. Weiss said.

Mr. Weiss said the full board would discuss the proposal and vote at a special public meeting at 6 p.m. next Wednesday, the day after Duquesne votes.

He predicted Friday's private meetings, rather than dampening public discussion, will help to fuel a "robust exchange of opinions" at next Wednesday's session.

With that timetable, Pittsburgh residents' only opportunity to comment on helping Duquesne would be the monthly public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday at board headquarters in Oakland. Speakers must sign up by noon that day.

Some Pittsburgh board members said they welcome the opportunity to help the poor, academically struggling and predominantly black Duquesne district. Others said they will have little choice but to help, even though they believe the state should demand assistance from a district nearer Duquesne.

The plan is gaining speed less than two weeks after the Legislature passed a budget that gives the Pittsburgh schools $12.5 million more than last fiscal year and amended the School Code to give Mr. Roosevelt more authority to discipline problem administrators in his district. Legislators have denied a connection between the help they gave Pittsburgh and the help they want Pittsburgh to give Duquesne.

Pittsburgh is believed to be considering a one-year contract that could include assigning some of its personnel to work with Duquesne and recommending other personnel moves by Duquesne's Board of Control. The fate of Duquesne's administrators, including Superintendent Jacquelyn Webb, has not been disclosed.

Mr. Roosevelt has said that no Duquesne students would be bused to Pittsburgh and that no Pittsburgh money would be used to subsidize Duquesne. Mr. Weiss reiterated that yesterday, saying Duquesne would pay for any time Pittsburgh administrators spend assisting it.

Dr. Zahorchak will speak in Duquesne at 2 and 6 p.m. tomorrow. With him will be Board of Control members and representatives from the University of Pittsburgh Partnership for School Improvement.

The partnership, through retired educators like former Woodland Hills Superintendent Stan Herman, has provided guidance to Duquesne. Education Department spokesman Brian McDonald said partnership members have helped map the strategy for Duquesne and are sponsors of tomorrow's meetings.