Construction Trades students build kiln, saving time and money for program

June 4, 2024

West Shore School News is a presentation of West Shore Educational Service District in partnership with Mason County Press and Oceana County Press.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

AMBER TOWNSHIP — Students in the West Shore Educational Service District’s Career and Technical Education Construction Trades classes spent part of the school year building a kiln to dry wood that the students mill on site. Instructor Aaron Tarsa said the students have been milling their own wood for about a year, reducing costs. The lumber then was air-dried, undercover outside, which would take about a year. The kiln now speeds up the process.

“Through this process, the students learned valuable building construction skills, as this is a full-size shed-like building,” Tarsa said. “They also learned electrical skills since the kiln requires an electrical system to operate.”

The Construction Trades building is located on the main campus of the West Shore ESD along US 10-31. CTE is funded through a millage in Mason, Lake and Oceana counties and is open to high school juniors and seniors attending public schools in those counties. It is also open to high school students from Manistee County through tuition.

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