KILGORE, Neb. - Fans and water pumps are common sights at the Cody-Kilgore Elementary School, as well as crumbling ceilings, plumbing problems, and heating issues.

“We’re actually on a lake bed," Cody-Kilgore School Superintendent Ryan Orrock said. "When we get a lot of rain, the water levels raise. Water has to be pumped out of the building."

The Cody-Kilgore School District voted on a $6.5 million bond to build a new school two years ago, but that failed.

“The school board took a step back, called patrons, and said, ‘What number would you be comfortable with?’ and $3 million is what we heard,” Orrock said.

The school board then developed a new plan to build a $4.2 million building. A group, Cowboy GRIT, is attempting to raise the remaining $1.2 million.

“Education is so vital to our community, to our families, to our children,” Cowboy GRIT President Jamian Simmons said. "We can’t survive as communities on our own without a school."

So far GRIT has raised more than $800,000 through fundraisers and pledges.

“One of the problems we have in this school district is we’re very, very small,” Simmons said. "It’s hard on the taxpayers, so our goal through Cowboy GRIT Inc. is to raise as many private funds as possible, in order to lower the tax burden on the taxpayers but still achieve the ultimate goal."

Right now the preschool and elementary schools are in Kilgore. Meanwhile, the middle and high schools are in neighboring Cody. If the bond passes, the school board would like all of the schools to be in the same building in the same town.

“That's one thing we lack right now is that continuity with our elementary and high school/middle school students,” Orrock said. "High schoolers every once in a while come over to the elementary and work with them a little bit, but we have a lot of kids with skills at the high school level that could work with the kids. We could use those resources better."

Not to mention it would mean less driving time for parents, teachers and specialists who work at and have kids in both towns.

“We believe our school district really deserves better,” Orrock said.

An option that will be left up to area voters and donors.