Westbury freshmen will now be allowed to use classroom space at Nassau Community College instead of at the high school due to overcrowding.

Superintendent Eudes Budhai delivered the news to parents Thursday night, telling them that state officials will approve a one-year lease at the college's annex.

The state Department of Education changed its mind a week after it told the school district it could not use space at the college and the nearby Cradle of Aviation Museum. It forced Budhai to scramble to find accommodations for ninth-graders at Westbury High School, which is overcrowded by about 500 students.

Westbury junior Naiomi Rawlings says everyone in all grades would have suffered if the state didn't reverse course.

"Shoes get stepped on all the time," she says. "Too many people...it's ridiculous."

Some parents blame the school's capacity issue on the district not properly checking the residency of students. But Budhai says that their hands are tied and that they must accept all students into the school.

"State regulations state you must enroll and place and ask questions after," the superintendent says.

School officials now have an extra year to find a permanent solution to the problem.