State education officials appear to be taking the first steps toward dismantling the Duquesne City School District, as they seek another school district that would be willing to enroll Duquesne's high school students as tuition students.

State Sen. Sean Logan confirmed yesterday that the state Department of Education "is looking at the potential of transferring grades 9-12 out of the high school and into a different school district."

There are 195 students in grades 9-12 at the Duquesne Education Center, which holds all of the district's grades. There are 38 students in 12th grade, Mr. Logan said.

"There is no way that you can run a high school with 195 kids. We are shortchanging the kids. You are literally offering them the bare bones of the curriculum," he said.

Duquesne's enrollment consists of 713 students in the Duquesne Education Center and 62 in alternative programs, Mr. Logan said, with the total enrollment projected to drop to 590 by the 2010-11 school year.

Mike Storm, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, said it is "working closely with Sen. Logan discussing alternative education opportunities for these students."

Mr. Storm said he could not be specific about which districts or programs the department is considering to receive transferred students, but that "nothing has been ruled out at this moment."

Neither Mr. Logan nor Mr. Storm could say if the state has ever dissolved a school or school district and sent students to another district by paying tuition. However, Mr. Logan said there are districts in the state other than Duquesne that could also benefit from that.

In Duquesne, there are currently no plans to move students in grades K-8, Mr. Logan said.

"They have about 50 kids per grade level and I don't feel they are suffering and neither does the Department of Education."

The K-8 situation will be reviewed again once the high school students are settled, he said.

Duquesne Superintendent Jacquelyn Webb said she had no comment on the matter.

Mr. Logan said he has heard that some districts have refused to take Duquesne students, but that there is at least one area district that is involved in ongoing discussions about taking the high school students as tuition students.

He said the state likely will attempt to provide additional funding to whatever district agrees to take the Duquesne students, to provide them with tutoring and other support help they may need.

Duquesne students have been among the lowest-scoring on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests. However, district officials were heartened at the 2005 results, which showed improvement in some areas.

In May, the education department appointed Shawn Farr as the new chairman of the board of control that has operated the district in recent years. Mr. Farr, a finance expert, replaced Nick Staresinic, a retired superintendent who had served as chairman since the board took over in the fall of 2000.

At the time, Mr. Farr said he believed his assignment would last two to three years and that by the end, the Duquesne City School District would either be a statewide model for other financially and academically troubled districts or the first district in the state to face dissolution.

It now appears that Mr. Farr, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, will not get that much time. He currently is the only member of the board of control. The other member, Jo DeBolt, recently resigned, Mr. Logan said.

He said there is no point in waiting any longer for things to turn around in Duquesne.

At the beginning of the school year, the district eliminated nine positions, including two special education teachers and two guidance counselors.

That left one guidance counselor for the entire school district and meant that "more special education students would be put into regular classes," Mr. Logan said. "They are also talking about eliminating all extracurricular activities, including sports."

The district already has cut its marching band.

"There has to come a time where we realize the Duquesne City School District can't continue to be a school district. We are now at the bare bones of what I consider to be a school district," Mr. Logan said.