DAYTON, Ohio -- School’s out, but a storm is brewing over how high school students will get to class next year in Dayton.

The RTA announced that it will not be helping Dayton Public Schools with free bus service in the fall, and now a national education official said it is time to bring in a new ride provider.

Until now, a lot of Dayton students have caught a ride to school on an RTA bus, but now the company said it is cutting its free assistance to Dayton Schools.

On Monday, RTA officials met with representatives from the local school district and the National School Transportation Association to figure out a solution. The NSTA is suggesting that Dayton Schools find a new private company to help them with busing.

More than 3,000 high school students rode the RTA to school free of charge. Now, that the RTA has decided to discontinue its contrat with Dayton Schools, the district is looking for an alternative.

Under Ohio law, school districts are only responsible for providing bus service to students in K-8th grade.

Last week, News Center 7 spoke with a Kettering school employee at a gas protest who said she predicted that local schools would soon be in serious financial trouble when it came to getting students to school.

As gas prices hover at more than $4 a gallon, the RTA has withdrawn its assistance for Dayton Public Schools, citing their own rising financial pressures. Next fall, high school students will be looking for a new ride as RTA school bus route have been eliminated.

Private companies have told Dayton Schools that they can reduce the district’s $12 million transportation budget as much as 40 percent.

Next week, the RTA said a study group will meet to research a new plan to present to the school board in August.