At a Glance
Staten Island's flagship screened high school — eight specialized institutes, a perfect program-richness score, and a remarkable zero suspensions
Best suited for
Staten Island families seeking a large, diverse, college- and career-oriented screened high school — especially those drawn to a specific institute like International Baccalaureate, Software Engineering, Practical Nursing, Performing Arts, or Naval JROTC.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of 4-year graduation, English Regents college-ready and Regents completion · DOE 2025 report
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Zero suspensions across 2,253 students — extraordinary by any standard and well below the district's already-low average
- Eight distinct screened institutes, including International Baccalaureate, Software Engineering, Naval JROTC, Practical Nursing, and a Law Enforcement Academy
- Program richness score of 100/100 — the maximum possible on the measure
- Practical Nursing is the most oversubscribed program at 14% offer rate (424 applicants for 65 seats), signaling serious demand for career-pathway options
- A genuinely diverse student body — Hispanic, Black, Asian, and White students all represented in meaningful numbers, with a 70% diversity index
Things to consider
- It's a large school — 2,253 students — much bigger than a typical screened academy, which can feel less intimate depending on the student
- Family survey response is only 10%, so the parent-satisfaction and trust numbers should be read as directional rather than definitive
- Parent satisfaction (91%) is slightly below the district average (93%) — not a red flag, but Curtis isn't leading peers in this metric
- Only about 13% of households in the immediate neighborhood include children, so most Curtis families likely commute from elsewhere on Staten Island
- Screened admissions mean acceptance isn't guaranteed — most programs have offer rates in the 14–25% range
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 31
Curtis is District 31's flagship screened high school and operates on a completely different scale — by enrollment, program breadth, and selectivity — than the borough's elementary peers. It serves as Staten Island's primary destination for families seeking IB, AP, and career-themed public high school options, with several programs that are essentially borough-wide draws.
Academics
Curtis is a screened school with International Baccalaureate, AP coursework, and eight specialized institutes — admission to most is competitive, with offer rates ranging from about 14% (Practical Nursing) to 33% (Naval JROTC). State proficiency data isn't included in this profile, so a direct comparison to the district's roughly 61% ELA and 61% math averages isn't possible, but the academic architecture — IB, AP courses, and a screened cohort — signals a college-prep orientation with structured career-themed alternatives for students who want a more applied path.
Culture
The single most striking number here is zero suspensions across 2,253 students — a feat almost unheard of at this scale, especially against a district average suspension rate of about 0.4%. Teachers rate the principal at 94% trust and instruction quality at 94%, and 91% of parents report satisfaction, though the family survey response rate is only 10%, so that number should be read with some caution. The day-to-day feel, based on the survey and discipline data, is one of stability and mutual trust between staff and leadership — a place where teachers feel heard and students, evidently, are not getting suspended.
Community
Curtis's student body is majority Hispanic (45%) and Black (32%), with Asian (8%), White (13%), and multiracial (1%) students rounding out a genuinely diverse population — a diversity index of 70%. The surrounding St. George–New Brighton neighborhood has a 33% bachelor's-or-higher rate and a median household income around $73,000, but only about 13% of neighborhood households include children, which suggests many Curtis families likely commute in from elsewhere on Staten Island to attend the borough's marquee screened school. With an economic need index of 74.6, the student body reflects a working- and middle-class mix that doesn't always match the immediate census tract around the building.
Neighborhood
St. George–New Brighton is Staten Island's closest neighborhood to the Manhattan ferry terminal — a working- and middle-class mix of renters and owners (35% homeownership) with a median home value around $557,000. Census figures show 19.5% of residents living below the poverty line and a bachelor's-degree attainment rate of 33%, and notably, just 13% of households include children, a sign that families with school-age kids are a smaller share here than in many parts of the city. That lower family density means a screened school in this area naturally pulls from a wider geography across the borough.
The school is about a 10-minute walk from the St George SIR station and roughly 15 minutes from Tompkinsville SIR — both on the Staten Island Railway, which connects directly to the St. George ferry terminal.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 217 families responded (10% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
This program offers students the opportunity to learn Microsoft Office applications, e-commerce, and introductory Computer Science which includes web design and computer programming. This course sequence leads to an industry-recognized certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Students will have an opportunity to take AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A.
This program offers students the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of law as the foundation of human society and our role as citizens in the justice system. In addition to standard academic curricula, students interact with representatives from the legal community, including district attorneys, judges, and special law enforcement agencies such as the FBI.
The IB Diploma Program offers students a unique, rigorous curriculum in Humanities and STEM-related fields authorized by the IB Organization. All students are expected to achieve an Advanced Regents Diploma and will also take numerous AP courses in addition to their seven required IB courses.
This program offers students opportunities to explore the following: writing, layout design, photography and documentary film. Students become multi-platform producers and explore how to use social media to tell their stories and represent their generation. Students become citizen journalists and learn how their voices can impact the often changing media environment.
The Naval JROTC program is a leadership and citizenship training program co-sponsored by the Department of Education and the United States Navy. The curriculum is divided into three areas: academic, military skills, and physical fitness.
This program offers two State-approved CTE health career programs. The Practical Nursing program includes 798 clinical hours in addition to the curriculum. These students are then eligible to take the NCLEX State Board examination for Licensed Practical Nurse. The Nursing Assistant program includes 108 clinical hours along with a curriculum that allows students to take the NYS certification exam to be certified as a Nursing Assistant.
The Performing Arts program offers students the opportunity to study dance, theater, or music through a variety of classes that are enriched by after-school performances and partnerships with Roundabout Theater, Battery Dance Company, Theatre for New Audiences, and The College of Staten Island. Course offerings include: IB Dance, Modern Dance, Ballet, Composition, Theater I, IB Theater, Chorus, Piano, Guitar, Orchestra, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band.
This program offers students challenging college-prep classes such as AP, IB, AVID, and CTE classes. Students are supported with AVID pedagogy that develops study, note-taking, and organizational skills. Curtis is pursuing certification of its IB Career-related program which is nested within this program. Curtis currently offers career pathways in STEM, art, and law. This program is also part of the CHS World Student Exchange with the Netherlands, Italy, France, and/or Spain.
This program offers students the opportunity to study fine arts or graphic design through a variety of classes that are enriched by after-school programs and a design partnership with Roundabout Theater. Course offerings include: Drawing, Painting, AP Art History, IB Art, and/or CTE Graphic Design using Adobe Creative Suite.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
High school (9th grade)
High school is one citywide application, made in 8th grade. Curtis High School admits through 10 programs, and each one has its own admissions method:
- Computer Business InstituteUnscreened85 seats
- International Baccalaureate/Scholarship Honors ProgramScreened
- Journalism InstituteUnscreened68 seats
- Legal Studies & Law EnforcementUnscreened85 seats
- Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training CorpsEd. Opt.
- Performing ArtsUnscreened
- Practical Nursing/Nursing Assistant/Medical TechnologyScreened68 seats
- School for International ServicesScreened85 seats
- Visual ArtsUnscreened
- ZonedZoned
High school application
- Opened
- Tue, Oct 6
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 4
- Offers
- Wed, Mar 3
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the high school application, in 8th grade.
- 2Screened programs rank the 7th-grade core-course average, so last year's final grades are the ones that count.
- 3Educational Option programs fill in equal shares across three reading levels, half by the school's ranking and half by lottery.
- 4Zoned programs give priority to students who live in the zone — a priority, not a guaranteed seat.
- 5Unscreened programs fill by random lottery among the families who rank them.
- 6Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
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From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Curtis High School a good school?
- On Motley, Curtis High School earns an overall rating of 63/100 — the average of the school's four-year graduation rate, the share of its students scoring college-ready (70+) on the English Regents, and its Regents completion rate, shown out of 100.
- What grades does Curtis High School serve?
- Curtis High School serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into Curtis High School?
- Curtis High School is a screened school — it admits by application, ranking applicants on their course grades (4th grade for middle school, the 7th-grade core-course average for high school); a few schools add an assessment, writing sample, or interview.
- Is Curtis High School public, charter, or private?
- Curtis High School is a public school in NYC Community School District 31.
- What neighborhood is Curtis High School in?
- Curtis High School is in St. George-New Brighton, Staten Island.