Weatherly residents showed their passion for the landmark school, which serves as a symbol of the town, forming a grass roots effort to return it to local ownership.

The Mrs. C.M. Schwab School, built in 1911, was listed on the market in February, and immediately attracted attention from residents and borough officials.The building is currently owned by a bank that took possession when the previous owner, a Virginia man, defaulted on a mortgage he took out on the building.The local group showed they were serious when they packed a council meeting in May, pleading with council members to accept the school if they could come up with the money.After the vote initially failed, Mayor Tom Connors and others implored council to reconsider, and ultimately, they voted again in favor of acquiring the school.Fundraising efforts ramped up over the summer. The group organized under the name Schwab School Restoration Project. In August, they raised money at the borough's Summer Festival.In November, the project's board announced their largest donation yet, a $5,000 contribution from local resident Thomas McBride. McBride's $5,000 donation will be commemorated on a plaque to be placed at the school.Plaques will also be made for Gold ($1,000+), silver ($500+), and bronze ($100+) -level donations.As of late December, the committee was waiting to hear from the bank that owns the property regarding their latest offer.