High school busing is slowly disappearing across the state. But taxpayers are still paying for it.

School districts all over Ohio collected more than $363 million this year to bus students. More and more school districts are taking the cash and cutting high school busing.

NewsChannel5 found more than 147,000 students are now being forced to find some other way to school. Meanwhile, taxpayers have spent $15 million more over the last four years.

Susan Haverkos sits on the state Board of Education. Haverkos said, "They’re losing services but their district is still being reimbursed."

Why?

Since 2005, schools are guaranteed cash even if they cut busing. Funding no longer depends on actual ridership.

Investigator Ron Regan asked, "But they were still getting reimbursed the same amount they were the previous year as if they were still providing service ... hundreds of thousands of dollars?"

Haverkos said, "Yes. And hundreds of thousands of kids have lost their busing during this process."

Schools get the cash even if your child walks.

We showed our findings to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

"Does that make any sense?" Regan asked.

Strickland answered, "It doesn't and that's why were going to change it."

Strickland said schools should be paid only for the students they actually bus.

"We want the funding to be related to the student and what services that student is receiving from the school district," Strickland said.

School districts argue that rising gas and maintenance costs are taking a toll. But some districts are also using the cash to pay for other expenses as well.

Both the governor and the Ohio Department of Education have come up with a solution. The proposed legislation would pay districts only for students and service that's actually provided.