but budget cuts threaten the busing program and also a better education for thousands of students, including one highly motivated 14-year-old freshman. maria is arriving to begin her school day, her journey began more than an hour and a half ago at her home 27 miles away. it s 5:00 a.m. and maria prepares for school. both parents work so she piles into the family van with her father and stepbrothers and heads to the bus stop. designation she she s a brighter future. how long have you been doing this? since i was a fifth grader. i have to wake up every day at 5:00 to go all the way here to the bus stop and go somewhere that i know i must succeed. reporter: tell me about what life is like at pal sades high school? it s like home. if i leave, oh, god. it s going to be hard. reporter: maria s
go all the way here to the bus stop and go somewhere that i m going to succeed. i think it s worth it, though. reporter: tell me about what life is like at palisades high school. oh, it s like home. if i leave, oh, god, it s going to be hard. reporter: maria s neighborhood high school ranks in the bottom 20% of the state. her dream is to attend ucla. every day about halfway into her bus ride, she passes signs that remind her of where she wants to be. but for now she s worried about just staying where she is. right here the teachers, they push you. they want you to succeed here. reporter: the los angeles unified school district pays for these buses with a federal grant, but because kids like maria and 1200 others attend palisades high, an independent charter school, it, not the district, receives nearly $7 million a year in state funds. facing a $640 million budget deficit, the la usd wants to use