Have a problem with state government? Contact your representative or senator. Just don’t expect an answer.

That’s what Ron Peare, a resident of Elida in Northwest Ohio, learned after trying to reach state legislators about his concerns over school funding and school choice. He sent letters June 9 and Aug. 13 to the governor and the education committee members in the House and Senate. Only the governor responded.

“Silence from our legislature speaks volumes,” Peare wrote in a letter to the editor of the Lima News.

An even more concerted effort by the News Outlet, a consortium of state university journalism programs and media in Northeast Ohio, had only a slightly better experience in recent weeks.

Identifying themselves as a student journalism team working in conjunction with the Akron Beacon Journal, they attempted to contact 79 legislative candidates — incumbents and challengers — in Northeast Ohio and ask a question about charter schools that is now before the Ohio Supreme Court.

The student goal is to develop the Columbus Exchange: Politics in Question, a periodic current-issues survey of all 132 members of the House and Senate for use by all Ohio news organizations.

Two-thirds don’t answer

The results were disappointing.

Of 77 candidates with available contact information, 51 did not respond, even after multiple attempts to reach them. An Akron-area legislator refused to participate now and in the future.

The question posed this month involves a dispute of ownership between Akron-based White Hat Management, a for-profit charter school management company, and school boards that attempted to oust White Hat as the contracted manager.

In September, a lawyer for White Hat argued before the high court that assets become the property of the private company. The lawyer for the school boards disagreed, saying tax dollars and what they buy should remain public.

The question posed by the News Outlet to legislators: What are your thoughts on whether charter school assets can become the property of for-profit private businesses or should they remain in public hands, as do traditional public school assets?

In fairness, traditional public schools hire and pay for-profit companies for various services, such as busing. And no one is disputing whether the vehicles purchased by a private busing company belong to the company or the taxpayer-funded school.

However, traditional public schools do not give more than 95 percent of state funding to a single “turnkey” management company, as do charter schools that contract with White Hat.

No White Hat support

None of the few who responded sided with for-profit management companies, or defended contract and state laws that allow such companies to turn tax dollars into private assets.

Forty-five percent of Democrats and 16 percent of Republicans responded. Of five independents, two responded and two had no contact information. Those in office were more likely to respond; 36 percent of incumbents and 30 percent of challengers.

As a group, nine Republicans and two Democrats, who did not respond, received more than $100,000 in campaign contributions in the past 24 months from David Brennan or William Lager, two politically active businessmen who own and operate Ohio’s largest for-profit charter companies — White Hat and Altair Learning, which runs the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow.

Republicans recipients included House candidates Anthony DeVitis, Marlene Anielski, Mike Dovilla, Sarah LaTourette, Tim Ginter and Speaker William Batchelder, who alone received more than $32,000. Senate Republican candidates included Frank LaRose, Larry Obhof and Tom Patton.

Scott Oelslager — a Republican senator and the only donation recipient to respond — said: “The assets should remain in public schools.”

Two Democrats running for the House — Anthony Fossaceca and Martin Sweeney — together received $8,000 in charter school-connected contributions. Neither responded.

It’s unclear if any other nonrespondents have received money from Brennan or Lager, who have also given $184,110 in the past 24 months to Republican House and Senate campaign committees.

Not now? Not ever?

Of the 51 who did not offer an answer, two said it was their intent not to respond.

“Sen. [Shirley A.] Smith will not be answering the question this month,” said Alan Ohman, legislative aide for Smith, a Democrat representing the eastern half of Cleveland and some of its suburbs. He would not elaborate on why, or if she would participate in the future.

Rep. Marilyn Slaby, a Republican representing most of Akron, not only declined to answer this question, but any future ones as well.

“At this time, Rep. Slaby has to decline, however, as she does not feel that she would be able to commit the time required to the program,” said Eric Seeds, Slaby’s legislative aide, in an email.

Slaby is a member of the House Education Committee.

Rep. Kristina Daley Roeg­ner, a Republican from Hudson representing northeast Summit County, also is a member of the House Education Committee and did not respond.

Contributors to this report from Youngstown State University: Keith Baker, Matt Hawout, Dustin Livesay, Billy Ludt, Laura McDonough, Jessica Mowchan, Nicolette Pizzuto, Alexis Rufener, Billy Sutak, John Veauthier, Brittany Wenner. From the University of Akron: Sartaj Aujla and Shelby Heitzenrater.

TheNewsOutlet.org is a collaborative effort among the Youngstown State University journalism program, the University of Akron and other state universities, and professional media outlets including, WYSU-FM, the Youngstown Vindicator, the Akron Beacon Journal and Rubber City Radio.

Following are the responses from area state lawmakers and candidates for the first Columbus Exchange: Politics in Question, a joint effort of the Akron Beacon Journal and the News Outlet, a consortium of state university journalism programs and media in Northeast Ohio. The results are being shared with all Ohio media outlets.

The question: What are your thoughts on whether charter school assets can become the property of for-profit private businesses or should they remain in public hands, as do traditional public school assets?

A similar question currently is before the Ohio Supreme Court in Hope Academy Broadway Campus et al. v. White Hat Management, LLC, et al., case number 2013-2050.

Detailed maps down to the street level can be found for the Senate and House at respective web sites: http://www.ohiosenate.gov/members/senate-district-map and http://www.ohiohouse.gov/members/district-map

Senate District 18

(All of Portage and most of Geauga and Lake counties.)

Not up for election this year.

John Eklund, incumbent Republican: No response.

Senate District 21

(East side of Cleveland and adjacent suburbs)

Sikiru Kafaru: Republican: No response.

Shirley A. Smith, incumbent Democrat, not running for re-election: Declined to respond.

Sandra Williams, Democrat: No response.

Senate District 22

(Medina, Ashland and Richland counties)

Not up for election this year.

Larry Obhof, incumbent Republican: No response.

Senate District 23

(South and west Cleveland, Parma and Brook Park)

Tom Haren, Republican: No response.

Michael Skindell, incumbent Democrat: In Ohio, charter schools, also known as community schools, are publicly funded primary and secondary schools. They operate independent from local school districts. As they are considered “public schools,” tuition is free for the students. Charter schools are funded by deducting a per pupil amount from the state formula funds allocated to the public school district where the child resides. In the past couple decades, more than $7 billion has been extracted from local school districts to fund these so-called “public” charter schools. Despite their public funding, charter schools in Ohio are not held to the same standards as our traditional public schools.

A portion of the money (public funds) extracted from local school districts is used to pay for charter school furniture, equipment, textbooks and buildings. The question asks whether these assets should be public or private assets. As a legislator, it is my position that the public funds paid to a charter school or management company to accomplish the governmental function of educating our children should remain public funds even after the transfer to a private entity performing that function. Upon closure of any charter school, these assets should be returned to the state through the normal liquidation process for public property. A policy that would deem the public funds to be private funds at the moment they come into possession of a charter school or management company threatens the public accountability of the use of those funds. I support a policy that promotes that the public funds, which have been extracted from our local school districts, remain public even after they come into the possession of a charter school or management company. This policy promotes public scrutiny and accountability.

Senate District 24

(All distant Cleveland suburbs on the inside edge of Cuyahoga County)

Not up for election this year.

Tom Patton, incumbent Republican: No response.

Senate District 25

(Cleveland’s east suburbs, Bedford to Willoughby)

Hasani A. Crider, Republican: No response.

Kenny Yuko, Democrat: This is not an easy question to answer. I cannot say yes or no. We continue to take valuable dollars from public schools … [and] we don’t hold charter schools accountable. I would like them [the assets] to stay with public schools, provided we hold them to the same standards as public schools. Again, education is the top priority.

Senate District 27

(Wayne, north and west Summit and west Stark)

Frank LaRose, incumbent Republican: No response

George Rusiska, Democrat: No response.

Senate District 29

(All but far-west townships and villages of Stark County)

Scott Oelslager, incumbent Republican: Assets should remain public.

Connie Ruben, Democrat: The assets should remain in public hands. This is an issue that deserves more accountability. Proposals to have charter schools audit their assets have been rejected, which isn’t right. (Also said legislature should question how charter schools are spending taxpayer money.)

Senate District 28

(All of southeast Summit County from Cuyahoga Falls and Barberton through Akron and Green)

Not up for election this year.

Sen. Tom Sawyer, incumbent Democrat: This question is a matter pending before the Ohio Supreme Court. I am interested in the outcome of this case because I believe any charter school assets purchased with public funds ought to remain in the public domain.

Senate District 32

(Trumbull, Ashtabula and an eastern portion of Geauga counties)

Not up for election.

Capri S. Cafaro, Democrat: I support additional transparency for charter schools, which, though privately run, are considered public schools funded by public money. If public dollars are being spent, we should know how those dollars are being spent. I realize this is an issue that is currently being debated by the Ohio Supreme Court, and I anxiously await their decision on how to draw that line between public and private.

Senate District 33

(Mahoning and Columbiana counties)

Not up for election.

Joe Sciavoni, Democrat: Though privately operated, Ohio charter schools are publicly funded with taxpayer dollars. If public dollars are being spent, we should know how those dollars are being spent. The Supreme Court of Ohio is currently debating this very issue, and it is my hope that they share this same view.

House District 5

Tim Ginter, Republican: No response.

Nick Barborak, Democrat: Money paid for charter schools is by taxpayers, so it should remain with the taxpayers. The termination or end of the contract does not mean that because that contract has ended that the business operating the charter school is entitled to the property belonging to the school based off of tax dollars. If the property is put to a public auction, then the business does have the opportunity to buy that property, but that does not mean the business has a right to ownership.

House District 6

Marlene Anielski, incumbent Republican: No response

Anthony Fossaceca, Democrat: No response.

House District 7

Mike Dovilla, incumbent Republican, no opposition: No response.

House District 8

Mikhail Alterman, Republican: No response

Armond Budish, incumbent Democrat running for different office: No response.

Kent Smith, Democrat: I would like to end for-profit charter schools. That could end many of these issues.

Jocelyn Conwell, independent: No response.

House District 9

Barbara Boyd, incumbent Democrat not running for re-election: No response.

Janine Boyd, Democrat: No response.

Charles Hopson, Republican: Assets should go to the city.

House District 10

Bill Patmon, incumbent Democrat: Assets should be given or transferred to a new or existing charter school first instead of being auctioned off for profits going to unrelated entities.

Miesha Strickland, independent: If the buildings in which the Charter School resides is a public owned facility then the investor should purchase the building as private owners and cover the cost of teacher salaries, maintenance, and all other expenses.

Robert M. Kilo, independent: Publicly held assets should remain in the facilities inhabited by the schools, and we should fight hard to keep it that way so that they remain the highest quality.

Danielle Shepherd, independent: No contact information found.

District 11

Sandra Williams, incumbent Democrat not running for re-election: No response.

Stephanie Howse, unchallenged Democrat: No response.

House District 12

John E. Barnes Jr., incumbent Democrat, no opposition: No response.

House District 13

Marla Anderson, Republican: No response.

Nickie J. Antonio, incumbent Democrat: Charter schools and assets should not be for-profit businesses. This is a huge problem and diverts quality and resources from our public schools.

House District 14

Mike Foley, incumbent Democrat not running for re-election: No response.

Anna E. Melendez, Republican: No response.

Martin J. Sweeney, Democrat: No response.

House District 15

Patty Gascoyne-Telischak, Republican: No response.

Nicholas J. Celebrezze, incumbent Democrat: No response.

House District 16

Nan A. Baker, incumbent Republican: No response.

Todd LeVeck, Democratic candidate for District 16: Assets should remain public.

House District 34

Cynthia D. Blake, Republican candidate: Assets should stay in the public’s hands unless they are included within the sale price (to a private company). If they are, then they would be returned to the general funds of the school district from which they are purchased. That would be a normal business process for any private business and the schools and all government should operate in the same manner.

Vernon Sykes, incumbent Democrat not running for re-election: No response.

Emelia Sykes, Democrat: No response.

House District 35

Linda Robinson, Republican: No response.

Zach Milkovich, incumbent Democrat not running for re-election: No response.

Greta Johnson, Democrat: No response.

House District 36

Anthony DeVitis, incumbent Republican: No response.

Paula Prentice, Democrat: The for-profit charter school assets should be turned over to the public schools. They were purchased with tax dollars, therefore they belong to the tax payer in a public school system with the same accountability structure.

House District 37

Kristina Daley Roegner, incumbent Republican: No response.

David Worhatch, Democrat: No response.

House District 38

Marilyn Slaby, incumbent Republican: At this time, Rep. Slaby has to decline, however, as she does not feel that she would be able to commit the time required to the program.

Tim Crawford, Democrat: No response.

House District 58

Robert F. Hagan, incumbent Democrat not running for re-election: Public money should belong to public schools, plain and simple. Ohio’s charter schools receive nearly $1 billion in public dollars annually. This is hard-earned taxpayer money that is meant to help provide an education for Ohio’s children, not line the pockets of private charter management companies. If a charter school board fires a management company for poorly operating a school, the company should not be able to hold onto property and use it to open yet another failing charter school. These private, for-profit charter companies need to be held accountable.

Michele Lepore-Hagan, unopposed Democrat: These are taxpayers’ dollars that should go back to the taxpayers. I believe that we should put our money into educating our children instead of allowing this money to go to for-profit companies.

House District 59

Paul Mitchell, Republican candidate for District 59 house seat: Yes. We shouldn’t be fooling ourselves to think that charter schools are public schools. They’re fundamentally different and ought to be treated as such. There ought to be a conversation about charter reform, but there are more fundamental issues to address about charters than this one.

Ronald V. Gerberry, incumbent Democrat: No response.

House District 63

Devon A. Stanley, Republican: No response.

Sean J. O’Brien, incumbent Democrat: This issue is tricky, as public schools, by definition, are within the purview of the public sector, while within charter schools there is a large gray area in terms of whether they are public or private. Evidence of this can be seen in the recent Ohio Supreme Court case involving White Hat Management and several northeastern Ohio charter schools. That said, I’m confident that Ohio’s Supreme Court Justices will come to a conclusion that is in the best interest of all Ohioans regarding the “public”/“private” labeling of charter schools, and will wait to hear how they interpret state law before making a final decision on this matter, personally.

House District 64

Randy Law, Republican: No response.

Tom Letson, incumbent Democrat not running for re-election: No response.

Michael O’Brien, Democrat: No response.

Elaine Mastromatteo, Green: No response.

House District 69

House Speaker William G. Batchelder, incumbent Republican not running for re-election: No response.

Steve Hambley, Republican: No response.

Richard A. Javorek, Democrat: School assets belong to the community that pays for them. For profit management firms are pirates that divert revenue for their own uses and stockholders.

Gregg E. Depew, independent: No response.

House District 70

Dave Hall, incumbent Republican: No response.

James Riley, Democrat: I don’t agree with charter schools at all. I think it diverts money from our public schools. I support public schools, I don’t support charter schools.

House District 75

Kathleen Clyde, incumbent Democrat: No response.

Nick Skeriotis, Republican: No response.

House District 76

Matt Lynch, incumbent Republican not running for re-election: No response.

Sarah LaTourette, Republican: No response.

Joseph Lanese, Democrat: No response.

With the onset of colder weather in Northeast Ohio, several programs are offering financial assistance to customers who may have difficulty keeping up with the costs of their utilities.

Here’s an overview of programs to keep eligible customers from shivering inside their own homes:

E-HEAP

Akron Summit Community Action Inc. will administer the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program for the 2014-15 Winter Crisis Program under contract with the Ohio Development Services Agency. E-HEAP is a federally funded program designed to assist Summit County residents with their utility bills. During last winter’s season, 10,050 households in Summit County received emergency assistance and utility payments totaling $1,016,553.

Applications will be taken beginning Monday. Eligible Summit County residents can now call the toll-free appointment line at 866-504-7400.

For eligible clients, E-HEAP will:

• Pay up to $175 for people whose utility service has been disconnected or needs to be transferred.

• Pay up to $175 for people with a disconnection notice from their gas and/or electric utility company.

• Pay up to $750 to fill a tank for people who have less than a 25 percent supply of bulk fuel.

New this year is the requirement for households with no income to provide an “IRS Tax Transcript” or a “Verification of Non-filing Letter” from the IRS prior to appointment. Documents can be obtained by phone, in writing or online by visiting www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript. Call 800-908-9946 for assistance with IRS transcripts.

For a household of four, the three-month income must not exceed $8,658.13 or $34,632.50 for a 12-month income.

A household can apply for E-HEAP only once between Nov. 3 and March 31, 2015.

Extended walk-in service will be offered from Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the 670 W. Exchange Street office only. Walk-in scheduling is determined on a first-come, first-served basis to customers whose utility services are off, need transferred, need new service or those out of bulk fuel.

Monday-only walk-in service will resume Nov. 10. Customers with disconnection notices must call the toll-free E-HEAP appointment line at 866-504-7400 to schedule an appointment.

Winter Reconnection

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has issued its annual Winter Reconnection Order, which allows any Dominion East Ohio residential customer to restore service or to avoid a shutoff between Oct. 20 and April 15, 2015, by paying $175. Under the order, customers, who have had service disconnected for nonpayment can have their service restored by paying the amount they owe Dominion, or $175, whichever is lower.

A reconnect fee of $33, plus applicable taxes, also will be billed to the account if the service has been disconnected.

There is no income eligibility requirement to use this program, and customers will be enrolled in a payment plan to help pay off any past-due balance. The reconnection plan can be used only once during the winter season by calling Dominion East Ohio at 800-362-7557.

Payment restructuring

Dominion customers can also call the utility to find out about its payment plans and energy assistance programs.

The Current-Plus Plan allows customers with a past-due balance to pay their current monthly bill plus one-sixth of the total account balance at the time they enroll in the plan.

The One-Third Winter Heating Plan allows customers to pay one-third of their total account balance each month for bills that include gas used from Saturday through April 15, 2015.

BARBERTON: In keeping with the city’s efforts to turn downtown into an arts and entertainment district, sidewalks will slowly be converted into a Hollywood-style Walk of Fame.

Instead of brass stars like the famed walk that celebrates entertainers, Barberton’s marble inlays will feature the top hat and cane often used to identify the Magic City, and engraved with the names of homegrown inventors, sculptors, authors, CEOs, athletes and others.

“Barberton has always been a big athletic town and has a history of people who became great athletes and coaches, but there’s another side that we need to celebrate and it’s important for young people to realize these other people came from Barberton,” Mayor Bill Judge said.

Judge said he is forming a committee of residents and staffers to select the first five inductees, with the goal of adding a few more each year.

The first panels will be placed next spring. A $30,000 grant awarded to Neighborhood Development Services (NDS) from Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing through its Place-Based Strategies Initiative will pay for those and another 25 blanks for future engraving.

Judge said the walk will probably start near the Lake Theatre and the Nine Muses art gallery on Tuscarawas Avenue. Also nearby is the soon-to-be-renovated Magical Theatre Co., the new DevilStrip Studios art studio and the location of a future art education site NDS has planned.

A statement by NDS in support of the effort said the project “will build upon these investments by transforming a normal sidewalk into a space that recognizes the valuable contributions of Barbertonians and adds a decorative monument to Barberton’s downtown.”

Judge said he initiated the idea after wondering “what else can we do to bring in interest and get people talking positively. Then I thought, [we’re] a very small town compared to other cities, but there are so many people in Barberton who have gone off and done wonderful things. Let’s teach people about that.”

Judge said the sidewalks in the targeted area are already divided into three side-by-side sections, so only the middle section needs to be removed to make room for the marble panel.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.

The leader of the worldwide Ukrainian Catholic Church on Tuesday will ordain and install a new bishop of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat, which includes Holy Ghost Parish in Akron and St. Nicholas Parish in North Canton.

Upon his installation, the Rev. Bohdan Danylo, 43, will become the youngest Catholic bishop in the United States.

He was appointed to lead the eparchy on Aug. 7 by Pope Francis and will succeed Bishop John Bura, who has served as apostolic administrator since 2009.

The bishop-elect was born in Poland and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1992.

He earned an undergraduate degree in sacred theology at the Catholic University of America and was ordained in 1996 as a priest in the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, Conn.

The Eparchy of St. Josaphat is one of four Ukrainian Catholic dioceses in the nation. It includes parishes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

The ordination and installation will begin at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Josaphat, 5720 State Road.

More information about Danylo and the eparchy can be found at http://stjosaphateparchy.com.