The way state school board members see it, pupils at three Baltimore schools run by Edison Schools Inc. have thrived in their two years with the for-profit company. They told city schools chief Carmen V. Russo yesterday they're worried about what will happen this fall when more than 300 of the pupils graduate to the seventh grade - and head back into regular city schools.

"These are kids who've had two years of light," said board member Philip S. Benzil. "We're going to put them back in the dark. ... There are 300 living human beings whose futures may be at stake."

The board stopped short of trying to force the city schools to extend Edison's reach into middle school, as the company and some parents wanted. But they asked Russo for promises that these pupils - whose recent test scores in some cases were double the scores of their peers in the schools they are moving to, according to state officials - will be properly taken care of.

"We're prepared to do what it takes to ensure the success of this endeavor," Russo told them. "We are doing everything we can to smooth the transition for young people and their families."

Two years ago, the state took three of Baltimore's lowest-performing elementary schools - Gilmor, Montebello and Furman L. Templeton - out of the city's control and put them under Edison's management. Last year, sixth grade was added to each of the three schools at parents' request. The city has said no to adding a seventh grade.

As seventh-graders, the Edison graduates will be sent to Hamilton and Booker T. Washington middle schools. State school board members who visited the two schools had less-than-kind words yesterday for what they saw, particularly at Hamilton.

But Russo said she plans to add gifted-and-talented programs, advanced math courses and after-school programs to improve achievement there. She said Hamilton has a new principal. She told the board she also hopes to imitate some of the successful parent-involvement initiatives instituted by Edison.

Earlier in the day, Edison officials told the board of great gains being made in the Edison schools and reiterated their desire to expand the program.

The city school board refused this month to give Edison seventh-graders. One city school board member accused Edison of recruiting the best students in the city to its schools and trying to send back the most difficult.

State school board member Reginald L. Dunn told Russo he remains concerned about promoting a city schools program that doesn't yet exist to Edison parents.