During meetings at the Duquesne Education Center yesterday, State Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak gave Duquesne residents three options for the future of their school district but none of the options emerged as the clear favorite.

The three options he offered were: the status quo, which involves maintaining a district with no art, music or foreign language teachers and no extracurricular activities other than high school football and basketball; dissolution of the district; or acceptance of a plan suggested by state officials to purchase administrative and management services from the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

The state Legislature recently appropriated $2 million for Duquesne to purchase management services from another district and Dr. Zahochak has asked Pittsburgh to consider helping Duquesne in the 2006-07 school year.

At the second of two public meetings last night, residents peppered Dr. Zahorchak with questions that ranged from fears of handing over control to Pittsburgh Public Schools to whether the choices were simply postponing the inevitable loss of the district.

Most residents left last night's meeting, attended by about 60 people, feeling unsettled about the district's future.

"They need a miracle," said Leslie Hill, of West Mifflin, who graduated from Duquesne High School in 1977. Mrs. Hill moved her four children out of the district years ago because it was failing.

During a meeting attended by about 50 people at the Duquesne Education Center yesterday afternoon, no residents spoke for or against the plan to have Pittsburgh schools provide management services to Duquesne. Earlier this year when state officials talked about the possibility of busing Duquesne High School students to Pittsburgh high schools, residents spoke out soundly against that proposal.

Two residents spoke in favor of dissolution. One was elected board member Cheryl Nemerovsky, who said the Duquesne schools are not adequately educating students and that the cost per student of $17,000 was too high a price for the community to pay.

"When the system does not work, get rid of it," Mrs. Nemerovsky said.

Resident Keith Thomas asked how much of the $2 million allocated by the Legislature would actually be used in the classrooms.

There didn't appear to be a clear answer to that question. Dr. Zahorchak said that some money would be available for teachers and supplies but that until a plan is approved by both the Pittsburgh school board and the Duquesne board of control, it would be difficult to say how much.

But the secretary did say that he believed the plan would allow the district to prevent the severe cuts, including the layoffs of seven teachers, the school librarian, guidance counselor and school psychologist, included in the $12.9 million preliminary budget.,

After the meeting, board of control Chairman Shawn Farr said it's more likely the district will use $1.7 million of the state appropriation if it chooses to purchase services from Pittsburgh.

In addition, he said Pittsburgh school officials will recommend to the Duquesne board of control candidates for an on-site leadership team that will be in the Duquesne schools on a daily basis. Salaries for the members of that team also will come from the state appropriation.

Dr. Zahorchak said any arrangement would be a one-year partnership between Duquesne and Pittsburgh and that during that year all Duquesne students in grades K-12 would be educated at the Duquesne Education Center.

Reactions from yesterday's public meetings will be used in the decision making process of the Duquesne board of control, which is expected to vote at a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday on the proposed management contract with Pittsburgh and to adopt a final budget.

The Pittsburgh school board is expected to discuss the issue today behind closed doors and then vote at a special public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Lisa Coulter-Neal, who has five children currently in the Duquesne school system, had her doubts about the partnership between Duquesne and the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

"The Pittsburgh public school system has its own problems," she said. "How are they going to help Duquesne with our problems if they haven't got their act together?"