Cortland BOE Honors Late Employee, Hears Student NASA Project Update

At its December 16 meeting, the Cortland Board of Education paused to honor the life and service of Andrew John Van Donsel. The Board President called for a moment of silence in memory of Van Donsel, who worked for the district as an automotive mechanic and was a 2007 graduate of Cortland.

The board also heard a presentation from Jonathan Herr, Sai Patel, Alex Sheets, and Thomas Barnes, who are participating in the NASA HUNCH program. NASA HUNCH is a nationwide STEM initiative that provides high school students with hands-on experience designing and building real products for NASA and the International Space Station.

Cortland students are currently working on three separate HUNCH projects. One of the projects involves designing a lunar capsule—a protective box intended to hold two lunar samples and keep them secure during their return trip to Earth.

In other business, the board approved the revised District Wide Safety Plan for the 2025 - 2026 school year, along with several additional items that are available for public review through BoardDocs.

The board also announced upcoming meetings, including a budget workshop and a Board Norms workshop scheduled for January 13, 2026. Both workshops will be held at the Kaufman Center, located at 1 Valley View Drive.