By now, the scaffolding present along the sides of Curtis High School seems almost part of the building. The construction being done on the school is an extensive undertaking consisting of three separate projects.

The first project, exterior maintenance, consists of three phases. The first phase, completed in the early months of the 2008-2009 school year, involved rebuilding the staircase outside of Exit One. Phase two, which is still in progress, consists of rebuilding the handicap access ramps and walls. The final phase of this first project involves construction on the roofs of the boys’ gym, which will begin in the spring. Mr. Peter Devlin, Assistant Principal of Organization, said, "We’re very happy with the progress, and we’re extremely happy with the quality of the work."

The second project is a complete renovation of the Curtis library. Already underway, the project includes a new paint job, a refinished floor, the installation of air conditioners, new furniture, a new circulation desk, and a new book security system. Rita Dougherity, one of the Curtis librarians, has been effected by the renovations. "The first two days I had to climb through the boiler room window to get to my office," she said. "These renovations are long overdue. We got the money in September 2005."

The third project has yet to begin, but will involve major renovations of the Feldman Hall auditorium. Air conditioners, a new sound system, and new lighting equipment will be installed. This last construction project is set to commence in the summer of 2009, and will be the last of the three projects to finish January 2010.

As a result, the auditorium will most likely be closed from September to January of next year, and the annual fall musical will be cancelled.

The auditorium and library renovations were one single project. In 2005, Curtis received $250,000 from Borough President James P. Molinaro, to renovate the library. According to Principal Aurelia Curtis, the School Construction Association (SCA) came to the conclusion that the donation was not enough to complete both this project, and also a renovation of the auditorium, which Ms. Curtis wished to do as well. Additional funds were requested, and the school received another $1.8 million. At the end of the 2006-2007 school year, the SCA told Ms. Curtis that the price of the renovations would still come in over budget.

Ms. Curtis decided to separate the projects, to focus on one area of the school at a time. The original plan to install new seats and curtains in the auditorium was cancelled, saving the school an estimated $350,000.

According to Mr. Devlin, "Ms. Curtis was very active in getting local politicians to put aside money for these projects."