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