Middleton High School engineering and technology teacher Justin Zander recently earned a grant to build a solar kiln, and he's looking for community partners to support his efforts to remove and harvest trees to collect logs and mill them into lumber.
Zander said milling their own lumber will reduce costs and allow woodworking students to do more and bigger classroom projects. He said the school spends about $6,000 a year on lumber. He estimates that once the kiln is operating, the figure will be closer to $600 annually.
With the grant Zander won from the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Education Foundation, he plans to build a solar kiln with his colleague Dan Biddick and Biddick’s construction students next semester. Once the kiln is finished, Zander’s woodworking students will begin collecting logs and milling them into lumber.
Zander would like to connect with local arbor-related businesses as well as municipalities and individuals that remove and harvest trees to draw on their knowledge and resources. He and three of his woodworking students recently talked with WMTV 15 News about the project.
He explained how the kiln operates: “It’s basically an insulated shed. You put vents into it, and it acts like a wind tunnel to dry out boards in the right way. It heats up wood to kill bugs and acts as a dryer to take the moisture out of the wood.”
Freshmen Henry Courtier and Riley Kuehn and junior Veda Gear shared with WMTV 15 News what the woodworking classes mean to them and the importance of finding a high school class where you belong.
Zander is teaching 125 students in five woodworking classes this semester, and he said the high school has 125 to 175 students enrolled in woodworking classes each semester. It’s part of Middleton High School’s strong career and technical education offerings, which have been highlighted in national outlets including The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) and CBS Evening News.
“I am hopeful that we can generate enough lumber to easily meet the needs of all our high school students and then start working towards assisting with the supply at the middle schools as well,” Zander said. “I am looking for members of the community that may have resources and knowledge to guide this endeavor.”
Individuals and organizations interested in supporting Zander’s work can email him at zander1@mcpasd.k12.wi.us.
Captions: Veda Gear, Justin Zander, Riley Kuehn and Henry Courtier in their woodworking class and speaking with WMTV 15 News on Jan. 13, 2026.