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The courtyard of Curtis High School was filled with a steady stream of students Friday morning, already heading home for the day. More than 2,700 students attend the North Shore school, which was built for 1,600.

Students say the halls are always crowded and busy.
"Trying to get to class is probably like trouble, sometimes you get there late," said student Xiomara Reyes. "You still get there. Sometimes they ask for late passes and we don't have them cause the hallways is crowded."

State Senator Diane Savino and Democratic City Council candidate Debi Rose say the North Shore needs a new school. Rose says overcrowding will become one of her top issues if elected, pointing to the fact that most classes at Curtis have 35 students. Last year, the school was 70 percent over-enrolled.

Students use one of three schedules to make sure they can all fit in their classes, so the school begins as early as 7 a.m. and ends as late as 4 p.m.

"This issue is one of a lack of planning on the part of New York City, and again, the lack of political will to make it happen here on the North Shore," said Rose.

Savino says the DOE received $13.5 billion in 206 to build new schools, but the North Shore was looked over.

"They have not determined that the North Shore of Staten Island is entitled to another high school," said the state senator. "We beg to disagree."

Rose suggests the Staten Island Homeport, where the city is planning to build new housing and retail space, as the site for the new school. But the Department of Education says opening a new school is not the answer, because there are others in the area that are under-enrolled. The DOE says it working to balancing that out.